Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the completion of the River Road (SR 777) widening project in Sarasota County while speaking at a press conference in Venice this week.
The River Road widening project is a 61-million-dollar project between the state and the county expanding a 5-mile corridor from two lanes to six lanes U.S. 41 and I-75.
"We've made upgrades to the pedestrian and bike paths along the route. We've enhanced crosswalks, improved lighting, and we've made this street safer for pedestrians and drivers alike," DeSantis said. "We've also added two new wildlife underpasses, which have been proven to cut down on wildlife collisions in other parts of the state where they have been implemented."
Gov. DeSantis added the expansion will triple the capacity of River Road for congestion relief and stronger connectivity for residents and local businesses. DeSantis also added the expansion will help as a potential Hurricane evacuation route.
The project is part of a 7-billon plan under the Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative. Gov. DeSantis announced the plan in 2023 to accelerate critical roadway and infrastructure projects in the state.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Jared P.E. praised DeSantis for the project.
"Under your leadership, we truly have transportation infrastructure," Perdue said. "We advanced 20 projects, seven billion dollars. We were already delivering a 15-billion-dollar annual program using general revenue surplus we advanced these projects. They probably would not have been funded for another 15 to 20 years, and they are truly transformational projects."
"This project is going to make it available for hurricane evacuations and detours. And heaven forbid if we ever have another bad hurricane, we're going to have now the solution," Perdue added. "And so we're really proud of that."
DeSantis's plan follows another extensive announcement to the Florida Turnpike and its amenities while speaking in Orlando earlier this week.
