In a year’s end status report on the proposed Florida Turnpike extension, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) reiterated its decision to temporarily halt the project without a route recommendation and improve Interstate 75.
That decision, announced in August, bowed to strong opposition from residents of Wildwood’s historically black Royal neighborhood. Several counties also passed resolutions opposing the extension.
The Dec. 27 status report was delivered to the governor and the state legislature. Although it did not mention the Royal community, the report recognized the importance of preserving historical and cultural resources.
“As we continue to refine and develop viable corridor concepts for this area, such as I-75, future expansions of Florida’s Turnpike, and other regionally significant projects, we will prioritize engagement to avoid communities and other resources that have substantial cultural, historic or other significance,” the report stated.
Royal was founded shortly after the Civil War when newly freed slaves were given 40 acres and a mule by the federal government. Descendants of some of those original owners still live on the land.
All but one of the proposed extension routes would have bisected the Royal community, which also was divided by construction of I-75 decades ago.
FDOT has not ruled out a turnpike extension, but the focus now is on improving I-75.
“As the prioritized improvements to I-75 progress, this study’s recommendation is for FDOT to initiate a regional study of need and include an emphasis on complementing I-75 and other regional transportation improvements within the study area,” the report stated.
Residents of Royal and Tillman’s Hammock, a rural community in northwestern Sumter County, attended several county meetings last year, pleading with commissioners to oppose the extension.
Instead, County Administrator Bradley Arnold and Wildwood City Manager Jason McHugh wrote a joint letter to a turnpike official saying that an extension should be located west of County Road 475 or co-located with I-75 to protect Royal.
Several counties, including Citrus, Marion and Levy, endorsed no-build resolutions.
A turnpike extension has been rejected several times since 1999, when a proposed 49-mile, $500-million extension was scrapped after local governments opposed it.
The recent extension plan was enshrined in state law with an expectation it would be completed by 2030.
The plan called for extending the turnpike from Wildwood and through Citrus County, where it would connect to the Suncoast Parkway, which then would extend 150 miles north to the Georgia border.