Osceola County officially began construction on the long-awaited Cross Prairie Parkway Connector.
County officials and project partners gathered to mark the milestone on the approximately $36 million project, which has been a primary transportation priority for the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners for the past two years.
Cross Prairie Parkway is a key multimodal corridor serving residents in St. Cloud, Kissimmee, and southern Osceola County.
Right now, there is no contiguous link between the southern and northern segments of the corridor — between Nolte Road and the C-31 Canal — forcing residents and emergency responders to use alternate routes that lack sufficient capacity and accessibility.
The approximately 1.6-mile extension will close that gap, creating a new route between the future Nolte Road Turnpike interchange and the C-31 Canal, connecting to the existing Cross Prairie Parkway in the Tohoqua neighborhood.
The project includes the design and construction of a new four-lane divided roadway and a bridge over the C-31 Canal. Additional improvements include:
- Bicycle lanes, a sidewalk and a multi-use recreational path
- Drainage improvements and stormwater ponds
- Street lighting, landscaping and irrigation
- Intelligent Transportation Systems
- Water, reclaimed water and sewer utility improvements
The project also includes site development and drainage improvements supporting the future NeoCity South development area, which will include a new AdventHealth hospital campus the county announced earlier this year.
The project includes a $6 million state investment through the Florida Department of Transportation’s Local Programs grant program. State Sen. Kristen Arrington and State Rep. Paula Stark sponsored the appropriation that helped secure the state funding.
Barbara Wolf, who has lived in the area for five years, says the road connection is long overdue.
“It’s necessary for me because I tutor on the other side. All the way by Canoe Creek and Nolte, and my husband works at the Publix. So, we love it, because it’ll connect straight to where he needs to go,” Wolf said.
But she’s also keeping a watchful eye on what more connectivity could mean for the neighborhood.
“I hope traffic doesn’t get crazy because people are going to be going this way from the Turnpike or trying to get on the Turnpike. I guess that’s our biggest concern, just what it’s going to be with the traffic,” Wolf said.
The project is fully funded for design and construction. As a design-build project, it is anticipated to be complete and open to drivers by summer 2028.
For more information about the Cross Prairie Parkway Connector, click here.