By Taylor M. Coffman
Herald Correspondent
Seminole County is forging ahead with the SR 452 Seminole Connector project - and Sanford may be footing part of the bill.
The connector, formerly known as the SR-417 Sanford Airport Connector, is a proposed route between 417 and the airport meant to divert some of the traffic off of Lake Mary Blvd. and Ronald Reagan Blvd. With residential developments popping up more and more often, commercial density increasing, and traffic from the airport only expected to grow in the coming years, city and county officials are in agreement that a new solution is necessary to reduce delays.
Officials from the Central Florida Expressway Authority, or CFX, state that the proposed route will not be a full expressway, instead being around 150 feet wide with two lanes in either direction, a 45 mile-per-hour speed limit, and the ability to widen the road into the medians if necessary. The Connector would provide a direct route to the Orlando-Sanford International airport, allowing for increased flow in passengers, cargo, and emergency services, while also “reducing traffic on local roads, improving commute times, and allowing residents and visitors more time with their families”, according to CFX.
The plans for what would become the Seminole Connector project were first proposed back in 2006. While the project remained stagnant for over a decade, with project leaders citing a lack of funding, development finally moved forward in the summer of 2024, as a new study was launched to finalize the planned route and secure the project’s funding - a tall ask, given the Seminole Connector’s 200 million dollar price tag.
Fortunately for many local wallets, CFX has already agreed to fund most of the project, contributing $150 million toward the total cost. Seminole County has followed suit, pledging $25 million and requesting an interlocal agreement from Sanford, Oviedo, Lake Mary and Winter Springs.
The agreement, which was brought up during a Sanford City Commission meeting on Apr 13, proposes that the four cities provide the remaining funding using a five-cent local option gas tax that Seminole County approved last summer. The agreement will see all of the contributors sharing funds for up to ten years, with “proportional reductions” being made as they come.
While a final decision regarding Sanford’s involvement in the funding has not been made yet, residents and city leaders alike have already raised concerns about the route being funded with taxpayer money, especially when that money could be used for programs like Seminole County’s SCOUT service in the future.
“My fear is that costs are increasing with everything,” said an attendee at the Apr 13 meeting. “If we let go of what you're asking us to let go of here, I don't know if we'll be able to offer anything else down the road because we all are experiencing exorbitant increases in costs.”
In response to these fears, CFX has assured residents and city officials that they have a long history of agreements similar to this one, including current collaborations with Orlando and Lake County.
"Transportation projects today take partnerships to get things done,” stated CFX Executive Director Michelle Maikisch. "How can we meet the needs of our residents with all of us working together?"
The final decision on the Seminole Connector interlocal agreement will made once Seminole County has put forward its initial funding, which project leaders confirm their goal is before the project’s engineering consultant deadline of May 11. More information on the Seminole Connector can be found by contacting the Sanford City Commission at 407-688-5001, visiting https://sanfordfl.gov/contact-us/, or by reaching out to CFX at 407-690-5000 or emailing [email protected].
