The first stretch of the Wekiva Parkway (State Road 429) is having its official opening in the US state of Florida on July 27th 2017. The 8km section of the Wekiva Parkway is being opened by the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX). The sections being opened are 1A and 1B, which have cost US$102.6 million to construct. These stretches of the route extend from where the SR 429 currently ends at the Connector Road near US 441, to a new interchange at Kelly Park Road. Work to build the project commenced in the summer of 2015.
The 8km section includes interchanges near US 441 at Connector Road and Kelly Park Road, along with bridges at Southfork Drive, Yothers Road, Ponkan Road and other locations. The Wekiva Parkway is the first expressway in Central Florida to feature all electronic tolling.
CFX is building five parkway sections totalling 16km and more than $271 million in construction costs. The entire $1.6 billion Wekiva Parkway will complete Central Florida’s beltway, while helping to protect the natural resources surrounding the Wekiva River.