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October 12, 2009
ORLANDO - Florida could face a budget shortfall of as much as $2.6 billion, and state economists told lawmakers the state’s recession will last at least until next spring.
The news comes as a huge wave of construction projects is about to transform many of Central Florida’s busiest roads -- taking a lot of people off the unemployment rolls, and put them onto the tax rolls.
The construction will be made possible by $1.3 billion in stimulus funds.
On Highway 50, lanes will be added and reconstructed along a 3-mile stretch from Avalon Road to state Road 429. It is just one of many projects set to begin by the end of the month.
"I-95, it's good to go. State Road 434 is also good to go. Later this week, state Road 50 will be good to go, and then it's U.S. 27 in Clermont and Baseline Road in Ocala," said Steve Olsen, of the Florida Department of Transportation.
But that is just the beginning -- In all, Central Florida has $282 million worth of projects in some stage of development.
There are nine projects in Volusia County, 12 in Seminole County, 13 in Lake County, 22 in Orange County and 31 in Brevard County.
All of that construction will create problems for drivers but officials believe it's worth it -- especially now.
The current recession has left thousands in Central Florida jobless, especially in the construction industry. Officials believe the new stimulus projects will employ as many as 8,000 people.
"The aim is to get people working, get these roads widened and the public will have a really, really nice roadway to drive on for a long time," Olsen said.
Experts say two things came together to give Florida an advantage.
First, Florida got a big share of the stimulus funds. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Florida received more that $1.3 billion. In comparison, New York State got $1.1 billion.
Statewide, of the 520 projects funded by stimulus money, around 130 of them have been given the green light.
Second, because of the recession, a lot of the road project bids are coming in below what was expected – as much as 20 percent lower – so the state can do a lot more with the money that is coming in.
While some states have already put the money to use, they have been using it for quick fixes.
Florida, however, is using the money for major improvements, such as reconstructing roads, changing the design of the roads, adding lanes and increasing capacity. That means more time spent in the design phase before construction can begin.
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