Skip to main content

Florida toll suspensions in force as Hurricane Milton hits

Move in place till 14 October designed to help ease evacuation from path of storm
By Adam Hill October 10, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
FDoT paused operations on active construction projects within the projected path of the storm (© Zenobillis | Dreamstime.com)

Toll suspensions are in force until noon on Monday 14 October across Central Florida and West Florida, as well as Alligator Alley and 595 Express, as Hurricane Milton impacts the US state.

Drivers were urged to avoid unnecessary travel and follow local guidance, and Florida Department of Transportation (FDoT) suspended operations on active construction projects within the projected path of the storm. 

Governor Ron DeSantis said at the beginning of this week: “With evacuation orders imminent, this will help keep traffic moving and be one less thing for people to worry about ahead of Milton.”

“Suspending tolls across the central and west part of the state and Alligator Alley offers an additional option for families to easily get out of the storm’s direct path,” said FDoT secretary Jared W. Perdue. 

Toll facilities for FDoT, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE), Central Florida Expressway Authority, and Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority are included within this - but authorities said the suspension "may be extended as needed depending on evolving conditions".

FDoT implemented Emergency Shoulder Use along Interstate 4 (I-4) and portions of Interstate 75 (I-75) to help facilitate the flow of traffic for travellers evacuating the storm’s potential impact area.

The south-eastern US was recently hit by Hurricane Helene, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is providing $32m for Tennessee DoT and $100m for North Carolina DoT from the Quick Release Emergency Funding Program to repair critical infrastructure and help with relief efforts.

US Department of Transportation said it is "closely following developments related to Hurricane Milton".

Related Content

  • Florida has ‘most limited’ disaster evacuation routes: study
    August 29, 2019
    Florida has 20 of the top 100 communities in the US that offer limited evacuation routes for natural disasters, says StreetLight Data. The company analysed 30,000 towns with populations under 40,000 with the aim of better preparing communities for floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. The top 100 communities was ranked by ‘evacuation risk’, which was determined by how many of the location’s daily trips enter and exit the town and via what route(s), adjusted for the number of available exits and overall populat
  • C40 Cities report: 'Nearly every' city has too much air pollution
    April 10, 2023
    Traffic initiatives such as low-emission zones will be vital in reaching climate targets, report says
  • Enforcement ensures equity for toll road users
    January 25, 2018
    All-electronic tolling boosts traffic flow but introduces the tricky question of enforcement. Workable solutions are starting to emerge. Enforcement is an essential part of tolling and one of the most important ways for a mobility agency to keep faith with its investors, its community stakeholders and the vast majority of its users. It can also be one of the most unpopular and contentious things a toll authority has to undertake. If tolling is about paying for the roads, then everyone has to pay their
  • Connected vehicle trials get big backing from USDOT
    March 14, 2016
    Connected vehicle technology will emerge as a sustainable reality at three sites in the US over the next four years. Jon Masters reports. Advocates of connected vehicle (CV) technology have received a welcome boost from news that the US government has committed a further $4 billion towards automated vehicle research and CV technology. This comes hot on the heels of the US Department of Transportation’s $42 million CV pilot pledge in October last year.