SR 40 PD&E and Design in Marion, Lake, and Volusia Counties

Ardurra conducted a 40-mile study along State Road 40 from one mile west of State Road 326 in Marion County to US 17 in Volusia County, addressing a historically controversial project that had defeated three previous PD&E study attempts since 1988. The project involves widening approximately 13 miles of SR 40 from two to four lanes through the western portion, from Silver Springs to Levy Hammock Road, including a sensitive section that traverses the Ocala National Forest.

The approach involved formulating and facilitating the SR 40 Wildlife Crossing Committee to build stakeholder consensus among representatives from FDOT, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, The Nature Conservancy, and Audubon of Florida. Through collaborative techniques over a two-year period, Ardurra facilitated consensus on a wildlife crossing plan, enabling Environmental Assessment approval after decades of failed attempts.

Key Project Achievements:

• Completed 40-mile comprehensive study, succeeding where three previous PD&E attempts failed since 1988 due to Ocala National Forest controversy

• Facilitated SR 40 Wildlife Crossing Committee building consensus among six major stakeholder organizations over a two-year collaborative process

• Achieved Environmental Assessment approval through stakeholder consensus on an innovative wildlife crossing plan addressing forest protection concerns

• Coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, securing federal wetland mitigation credit for wildlife crossings at critical locations

• Created the first project of its kind in Florida and the second nationally to receive mitigation credit for wildlife crossing infrastructure

• Developed UMAM methodology recognizing functional benefits of wildlife under-crossings through partnership with FDOT

• Published methodology paper outlining Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method application for wildlife crossing functional benefits

The project demonstrates how collaborative stakeholder engagement and innovative environmental solutions can overcome decades of project obstacles while establishing new precedents for wildlife-friendly transportation infrastructure in sensitive ecosystems.