The Central Florida Expressway Authority board on Thursday approved a $12.1 million contract with DRMP Inc. to design State Road 452, a planned 1.6-mile expressway between SR 417 and the area around Orlando Sanford International Airport.
The road, called the Seminole Connector, would start on SR 417 close to its Lake Jesup toll plaza and end at Lake Mary Boulevard by Red Cleveland Boulevard in the Sanford area, according to CFX. Plans show a Lake Mary Boulevard interchange plus a partial SR 417 interchange whose ramps carry traffic to and from the south, the direction of Winter Springs and Oviedo.
CFX's staff presentation describes a two-lane road that could later be widened to four lanes.
What it could mean for SR 417 drivers
CFX describes the connector as another way to reach East Lake Mary Boulevard, Red Cleveland Boulevard and the airport, and says it would improve traffic flow, give emergency vehicles more reliable trip times and add evacuation options.
The design work approved Thursday also includes moving the existing Jesup mainline toll site on SR 417 farther south, below the new interchange, according to the contract scope in the board's agenda packet. The road itself does not enter Winter Springs.
Contract and timeline
DRMP ranked first among three firms, ahead of HDR Inc. and G-A-I Consultants Inc., according to the staff presentation. The approved fee is $12.1 million. Seminole County and CFX reached an interlocal agreement on the project in February, design is set to begin in November, and construction is expected to start in 2031.
CFX's fact sheet lists design wrapping up in early 2030 and notes that the schedule could change.
