As Hurricane Milton nears Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has ordered the suspension of all tolls across Central and West Florida, as well as Alligator Alley, for those evacuating.
Tolls were suspended for seven days as of 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 7. They will be reinstated on Monday, Oct. 14, at 12 p.m.
"With evacuation orders imminent, this will help keep traffic moving and be one less thing for people to worry about ahead of Milton," DeSantis said.
Facilities included within the suspension order include:
- Collier and Broward Counties
- Alligator Alley
- Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties
- Suncoast Parkway
- I-4 Connector
- Selmon Expressway
- Veterans Expressway
- Gateway Expressway
- 275 Express
- Pinellas Bayway
- Sunshine Skyway Bridge
- Osceola, Orange, Lake, Seminole, Sumter and Polk Counties
- Turnpike Mainline between I-75 (MP 309) and Canoe Creek Service Plaza (MP 229)
- S.R. 453
- S.R. 451
- Wekiva Parkway
- Apopka Expressway
- Beachline Expressway
- Central Florida Greeneway
- East-West Expressway
- I-4 Express
- Western Beltway
- Osceola Parkway
- Poinciana Parkway
- Southern Connector Extension
- Seminole Expressway
- Polk Parkway
Officials said toll facilities for FDOT, FTE, Central Florida Expressway Authority, and Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority are included with this suspension.
FDOT is also actively implementing Emergency Shoulder Use along I-4 and portions of I-75 to help the flow of traffic for those evacuating.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.