Background

Travel demand on SR 40 east of Ocala had grown by the mid-1980’s to a level that produced congestion and unsafe operation. The Ocala/Marion Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) recognized this deficiency first in 1985 by adding a capacity project to the long-range transportation plan. The increasing traffic growth was again reiterated in 1988 when the capacity improvement was added to the MPO short range Transportation Improvement Program.

FDOT began a Project Development and Environmental Study (PD&E), the first step in a road improvement project, responding to the MPO defined need. The project limits were set between Silver Springs and I-95 to encompass a regional approach (See maps). SR 40 was added to the Florida Intrastate Highway System in 1990, adding to the regional significance. The initial study was completed for the eastern section, between US 17 and I-95.

FDOT initiated a more detailed PD&E study, including preparation of a full environmental impact statement, in 1993, for the section between Silver Springs and US 17 in Barberville. This study made good progress, including a thorough assessment of possible alternate corridors for the improvements. However, revised traffic projections prepared in 1997 showed that multi-lane capacity improvements are probably only needed on the eastern and western ends of the project area, but not in the middle section through the Ocala National Forest. The regional PD&E study is dropped, in favor of smaller studies that only look at the end sections.

FDOT starts a PD&E study in 1999 focusing on the eastern section of the highway between Silver Springs and CR 314A, where the demand is greatest, and where improvement remains a priority with the Ocala/Marion MPO. Work continues on this study until it becomes clear that issues related to secondary impacts will force consideration of the entire roadway between Silver Springs and Barberville.

At this point, FDOT decides to take a more regional approach and determine if there is interest among various governmental agencies and non-governmental interest groups in jointly assessing the feasibility of improvements to SR 40. The initial phase of this investigation determined a strong level of interest in such a collaborative process, as summarized in the SR 40 Environmental Feasibility Study - Phase 1 document.