Lane Construction is hitting the fast lane in Florida this summer, securing a contract to upgrade a key stretch of Interstate 75 and boost transportation efficiency across North Central Florida, according to a company release.
The Charlotte, North Carolina-based civil contractor, a U.S. subsidiary of Italian industrial giant Webuild Group, has landed a $238 million contract for design-build improvements to I-75 in Marion County, a major corridor for freight and passenger traffic.
The project includes the addition of auxiliary lanes between interchanges on I-75 from State Road 200 to State Road 326, bridge replacements, milling and resurfacing, installation of noise barriers and modifications to existing interchanges at State Road 40 and State Road 326. The project also encompasses the Southeast 49th Street interchange, a key gateway for the upcoming Buc-ee’s store opening in Ocala, according to local ABC affiliate WCJB 20.
Additionally, Lane’s scope includes drainage and stormwater enhancements.
These improvements are part of the state’s Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative, which aims to invest in safer and more efficient highways throughout the state. The project is expected to reduce delays in northbound traffic on I-75 by 96% and in southbound traffic by 88%, according to the release.
Other benefits will include improved capacity and ride quality; enhanced safety and better routes for hurricane evacuations through upgraded shoulders and medians; and smoother traffic patterns and roadway accessibility.
Lane has worked several Florida DOT jobs over the years. Currently, its ongoing projects in Florida include the:
- I-275/I-4 Downtown Tampa Interchange project.
- The Seminole Expressway/SR 417 widening project in Seminole County.
- The I-4 at SR 33 Interchange project in Polk County.
- The widening of the Turnpike Mainline from the Minneola Interchange to O’Brien Road in Lake County.
- The I-4 and Sand Lake Roads Interchange Improvements and the I-4/SR 535 Apopka–Vineland Road Interchange project, both in Orange County.
Work on the I-75 improvements is slated to begin early next year, and the project is expected to be completed by 2029.
