ORLANDO, Fla. — Drivers may see some relief to their morning commute into downtown Orlando with planned improvements to State Road 408.

What You Need To Know

  • The Central Florida Expressway Authority is looking to widen SR-408 from Kirkman Road to Goldenrod Road

  • More than 164,000 drivers use the 408 toll road every day, causing backups

  • Lisa Hall says congestion can add an extra 15-20 minutes to her commute into downtown Orlando

  • Work for the $223 million project will take place over the next five years

The Central Florida Expressway Authority is studying capacity improvements.

Lisa Hall drives from her home in Oviedo to her job in downtown Orlando every day.

“I love my job and I love the people I work with, but I don’t like the commute,” she said.

The congestion on the 408 can add an extra 15 to 20 minutes to her commute.

“When it bottlenecks coming to work every morning, people are slamming on their brakes and that’s how those accidents are happening,” Hall said. “And it’s just constant. It’s very dangerous, so it’s very stressful.”

Over 164,000 drivers use the 408 toll road every day.

The Central Florida Expressway Authority is looking to add extra lanes in three segments of SR-408 to ease congestion between Kirkman Road and Goldenrod Road.

“It boils down to safety and improve travel times,” said Brian Hutchings, manager of communications for the Central Florida Expressway Authority. “When you have less lane changing and consistent speed, you’re going to improve safety and reduce accidents and improve travel times for everyone.”

The 408 projects are broken down into sections:

  • From Kirkman Road to Church Street, CFX is studying the addition of a lane to eastbound and westbound SR-408

  • From John Young Parkway to I-4, CFX is designing an additional eastbound lane on SR-408

  • From I-4 to Goldenrod Road, CFX is looking at providing a continuous five-lane section in the westbound direction

Work for the $223 million project will take place over the next five years.

Two public meetings will discuss the plans:

  • Feb. 27: Virtual public meeting for SR-408 westbound capacity improvements from I-4 to Goldenrod Road

  • Feb. 28: A public, in-person meeting at Carver Middle School for SR-408 capacity improvements from Kirkman Road to Church Street