A planned road linking State Road 417 with Orlando Sanford International Airport has moved a step closer to construction after the Central Florida Expressway Authority approved a $12.1 million design contract.
The contract has been awarded to DRMP Inc for design consultant services on State Road 452, known as the Seminole Connector, in Seminole County, Florida.
The proposed 1.6-mile route would run from SR 417 near the Lake Jesup Toll Plaza to Lake Mary Boulevard, close to Red Cleveland Boulevard and the airport. It would include a new interchange at Lake Mary Boulevard and a partial interchange with SR 417, allowing access to and from the south.
CFX says the connector is intended to provide more direct access to the airport while easing pressure on Lake Mary Boulevard and nearby local roads.
The authority’s current project timetable lists the start of design work in autumn 2026, with construction scheduled to begin in 2031. The eventual completion date has not yet been set.
Seminole County approved an initial $25 million contribution towards the scheme in February, with a further $25 million payment due in the 2028 financial year. The county’s total contribution is expected to be $50 million.
CFX board member Andria Herr said the project had become increasingly urgent as residential development accelerated around the airport and Lake Mary Boulevard.
“The residential growth in that area is happening very aggressively, and if we don’t do it now, the project will be unaffordable in the future and disrupt many more people than it will right now,” she said.
Seminole County manager Darren Gray described the connector as a long-awaited project, while local business representatives said the road would support future expansion around Orlando Sanford International Airport.
Sheryl Nichols, of the Seminole County Chamber, said the area would feel the strain of continued growth without the new link, warning that the airport’s industrial and manufacturing expansion could otherwise be limited.
