State kicks off record I-75 expansion

State kicks off record I-75 expansion The Florida Department of Transportation today broke ground on the record $430 million 'iROX' project that will widen a 30-mile stretch of Interstate 75 to six lanes between Naples and Fort Myers.
   The contract for iROX (Interstate Road Expansion Project) is the largest ever for a single highway project in Florida, and is also noteworthy because it will be the first built under the new 'design/build/finance' strategy that offers incentives to contractors that can finish a project ahead of schedule. Contractors can earn $100,000 for each day saved, up to a maximum of five months. The strategy also allows the state to pay back the contractor over a five-year time period.
   Officials expect the iROX project to be completed by the end of 2010, which is five years sooner than it would take building with traditional methods.
   The project itself calls for the addition of two lanes on I-75 from the new Golden Gate interchange east of Naples in Collier County to the Colonial Boulevard interchange in Lee County on the eastern edge of Fort Myers.
   From a broader point of view, the project will eliminate what is becoming one of the main bottlenecks on I-75 between the Tampa Bay area and South Florida.
   'Safe, efficient and congestion-free roadways for the people of Florida is one of my top priorities,' said Gov. Charlie Crist. 'This project will improve transportation in Southwest Florida for families, businesses and tourists.'