
If the interchange is not built, the east-west Northwest 49 th Street is projected to host 14,600 vehicles a day by 2045 and will fall to an “F” level of service grade for its ability to efficiently move traffic.Īnd while building the interchange would bring even more traffic – roughly 21,500 vehicles a day to Northwest 49 th Street by 2045 – the various improvements would keep the level of service at an acceptable “C” grade, engineers say. A few expressed concerns about how they would be impacted by the additional traffic that the interchange would bring to the area and what FDOT would do to buffer them from noise.Īccording to FDOT engineers, the area is becoming increasingly congested.

Wednesday’s hearing drew roughly two dozen visitors, many of them residents who live near the project, including The Fountains subdivision west of I-75 off Northwest 49 th Street. The total cost of the project is estimated at $86 million, including $45 million for right-of-way purchases and $41 million for construction. Next, according to FDOT documents, the state will purchase the right-of-way needed for the project, then begin construction.Ĭonstruction could get under way as soon as 2024. 27 interchange to the south.Ĭounty and city officials must sign off on the concept proposed by the FDOT before the project moves into the design phase, where FDOT engineers will create the blueprint for the project. FDOT and local officials say the project will also take traffic pressure off the State Road 326 interchange to the north and the U.S. The project has been on the drawing boards for years at the request of Marion County and City of Ocala officials who want to open that stretch of I-75 to large-scale commercial development, particularly distribution centers. The half-hour public hearing at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala was a critical next step in the FDOT’s march toward building the interchange. We will deliver on our promise to make your dreams for your home come true with excellent customer service.

The main lanes of traffic will crisscross at signalized intersections on either side of the interstate, negating the need for vehicles to make left turns across multiple lanes of traffic.įDOT officials say the diverging diamond pattern allows traffic to flow more efficiently and with fewer “conflict points.” Closet Designers in Ocala LEBER DREAM HOMES 4.7 (30) The Villages, FL 2022 Super Service Award Angi Certified Over 10 years of business experience enable us to complete any remodeling, or home improvement project. The “diverging diamond interchange” design proposed by Florida Department of Transportation planners and engineers is a model that is becoming increasingly popular around Florida.

State Transportation officials on Wednesday night unveiled their concept for the new interchange at Interstate 75 and Northwest 49 th Street in Ocala.
