SANFORD, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation is moving forward with building a new Interstate 4 truck stop in Seminole County.

What You Need To Know

  • FDOT is looking to build 5 new truck stops in Central Florida

  • The 2 existing Longwood stops don’t meet the truck parking demand

  • FDOT has plans to build new truck stops in Osceola, Orange, Seminole & Volusia counties

  • Construction on the first new stop, in Seminole County, is planned for 2026

It is one of five new rest stops being planned for the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. Currently, there are only two rest stops along I-4 in the area, both located in Longwood, also in Seminole County.

“That’s why you left this hour extra on other side of your drive time in trucks to make sure you can find a place to park,” said Tim Darnell, who has been in the truck driving industry for 30 years.

Darnell says finding a spot to park is an issue nationwide, but it’s especially difficult in Central Florida.

A study found there are only 36 current available spaces for truck drivers right now in Central Florida. But the current demand calls for 481 spaces.

In just a couple of years that demand skyrockets to 750 spaces.

“Parking is a premium and always has been,” said Darnell.

FDOT knows Central Florida has a problem. The agency is working to find new truck parking stops.

FDOT officials identified two spots in Volusia County, one in Osceola County, another one in Orange County, and a brand new truck stop in Seminole County.

All total, they would add a thousand new spaces for truckers.

“It can only help,” Darnell said, “and the sooner the better.”

The only proposed truck stop that FDOT has a timeline for is the county that already has the only two truck stops for the area, Seminole County.

The location is off of I-4 and U.S.-17/92 in Sanford.

FDOT is targeting to start construction on the new Seminole County truck stop in 2026.

Seminole County Commissioners are expressing concern with FDOT, sending them a letter to make sure their truck stop isn’t the only project moving forward.

“The timeline for the construction phase has not yet been set for any of the other sites,” said Cindi Lane, public information director for FDOT District 5. “As additional sources of funding are received, FDOT plans to use that funding for phases that currently have partial funding. Then, the department will focus on funding the right of way acquisition. Timelines will be accelerated as additional sources of funding are identified.”

As Spectrum News 13 has reported in the past, Longwood residents behind the two current rest stops have complained for years about the air quality and noise from the trucks.

Seminole County commissioners say they have been promised by FDOT that when all the new truck stops open across our region, then they will ask the federal government to close down the two current rest stops.

But again, when that happens, isn’t clear, as FDOT officials do not have a timeline for construction for the Osceola, Orange or Volusia counties stops.

The proposed Osceola County truck stop would be located at Osceola-Polk Line Road and the Poinciana Parkway Extension, about four miles from I-4.

The Orange County site would be located near Sand Lake Road, John Young Parkway and Florida’s Turnpike.

Truck stops on both sides of I-4 in Volusia County are also planned, between State Road 44 and U.S.-92.