Ellis Road widening project in Melbourne faces $40 million shortfall. What's its status?
Funding for the long-anticipated widening of Ellis Road from John Rodes Boulevard to Wickham Road is still millions of dollars short, despite efforts by State Rep. Tyler Sirois, who has made the project a priority.
The shortfall was nearly $47 million before Sirois said he was able to get it down to around $40 million during this year's legislative session, pending the governor's approval of the proposed budget.
"My No. 1 appropriations priority this session was getting more funding for Ellis Road," Sirois said. "You know, that project, just because of inflation and other economic factors, is getting more and more expensive by the day. We've got to get that project done."
The lawmaker is not alone in that assessment.
Georganna Gillette, executive director of the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization, puts the Ellis Road widening atop a long list of priority road projects the agency would to see come to fruition sooner than later.
Gillette said the projects needed are "extremely critical for safety, mobility and quality of life."
"It's a long road to implement, and it takes longer and costs more than many people realize," Gillette said. "I am concerned about the lack of state and federal funds to meet our transportation needs. We're doing the very best that we can with the funding that we have."
More: Here's how your state legislators want to spend tax money on Brevard projects
Partners for the project — which entails widening to four lanes, with 12-foot travel lanes, 7-foot bike lanes and 6-foot sidewalks — include Brevard County, the Florida Department of Transportation, the city of Melbourne, the city of West Melbourne and the Melbourne Orlando International Airport.
In recent years, an increase in both commuter and freight traffic has resulted in one of the most congested roads in the area. A new interchange at Interstate 95 and Ellis Road opened up in 2020, resulted in an increase in traffic.
Sirois called the infrastructure project "critical," and said it would serve generations to come.
"In my remaining years in the House, I want to try to pay off that project so we can, you know, have it shovel-ready and and get started," Sirois said. "We need to get that done."
Grant development is underway to fund the construction shortfall. The hope is that construction could begin in the 2026 budget year.
Contact Torres at [email protected]. You can follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @johnalbertorres.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Ellis Road project a priority for Brevard, Florida rep says
