Driving CFX: September 2025

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September 2025 | ISSUE 112

30 Years of E-PASS Changes How You Travel

Thirty years ago, approaching a toll area, especially at rush hour, usually meant delays, sometimes two miles long as drivers paid the toll. Leaders at the Central Florida Expressway (CFX) knew that was a challenge that needed a solution. The answer was a device that would allow drivers to pay without the need to stop at toll plazas.

That’s why in 1994, CFX started its E-PASS program, the first electronic transponder program in Florida.

A lot has changed in those 30 years. For example, unlike the credit-card-sized stickers on windows today that are read from overhead, the first transponders were mounted on bumpers and read from a device in the pavement. The shift to electronic payment revolutionized travel across Central Florida’s expressways by enhancing efficiency and improving the experience for the millions of residents and visitors to our region.

As E-PASS marks its 30^th anniversary, you can take a fascinating look back at how the program started, how it changed, and understand the impact it has had on helping Central Florida grow into a world-class community. Watch the video here.

Smoother Drive Ahead: SR 417 Construction Wraps Up

Great news for Central Florida drivers! Four years of construction is now finished on SR 417 between International Drive and SR 528 to make your drive safer and more reliable.

Your toll dollars funded approximately $440 million of improvements on this major expressway to provide better access and easier travel to the Orlando metro area, airports, theme parks and more.

With construction now wrapped up, more than 86,000 drivers who use the road daily are enjoying a smoother ride thanks to the SR 417 expansion to six lanes and the implementation of Flex Lanes, a new traffic management initiative.

The 21-mile project also included a new flyover at Landstar Boulevard, enhanced ramps to and from SR 417, and a new tolling system at the Narcoossee Road ramp plaza with cashless tolling technology.

Learn more about this project, visit the webpage.

SR 429 Flex Lanes Activation Expands

The SR 429 Flex Lanes are now live from Florida’s Turnpike to West Road. Flex Lanes will keep traffic moving and increase safety during times of significant incidents on the roadway.

These innovative lanes use a wider shoulder in the median to keep traffic moving. If a serious crash slows traffic, the Flex Lane will open to get traffic safely past the crash at a reduced speed.

The lanes are controlled by dynamic overhead messaging signs that show which lanes are open and which lanes are closed. Red X's mean a lane is closed; a green arrow means a lane is open. When a lane is about to open or close, the overhead sign will show a yellow X.

To learn more about Flex Lanes, click here.

CFX roads are transitioning to Cashless Tolling, easing your travels across the region by making them smoother, safer, and more efficient. By October 1, all CFX expressways will be fully cashless, meaning no more stopping to pay on any CFX roads.

Here are some quick tips to make sure you are road-ready:

Already an E-PASS Customer? E-PASS customers should:

→ Make sure your E-PASS account is up to date with current license number, address and credit card.

→ Download the E-PASS app for easy account management - available in the App Store or Google Play.

Don’t have E-PASS? That means when you pass through a toll, your license plate will be electronically scanned and you will be billed by mail, although at a higher rate than E-PASS users. To prepare, we recommend you:

→ Get E-PASS to guarantee you pay the lowest toll rate, avoid billing hassles, and receive qualifying volume toll discounts.

Click here to learn more about how the cashless system works, which includes a video explaining the changes and how tolls are collected.

Don’t have an E-PASS? Visit the E-PASS toll app web page for more information about setting up an account.

Public Hearing: Southport Connector Expressway PD&E Study

To gather community feedback on how best to meet the growing transportation needs in Central Florida, community members and stakeholders from Osceola and Polk counties participated in a series of Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study Public Hearings for the proposed Southport Connector Expressway. More than 200 people attended the in-person hearings on September 16 and 18 to learn about the project and share their feedback with the study team. An additional 62 participants joined the virtual hearing held on September 17.

Since 2008, various local, state, and regional agencies have studied potential solutions to relieve congestion in the rapidly growing study area. This study is part of CFX’s continued commitment to enhancing regional connectivity and supporting economic growth in the region.

During the three hearings, community members had the opportunity to learn about the Preferred Alternative for the Southport Connector Expressway as well local road enhancements to Cypress Parkway including expanding it to six lanes. The Preferred Alternative for the expressway extends over 15 miles from its beginning point along the existing Poinciana Parkway north of Koa Street to Canoe Creek Road. In addition, the Preferred Alternative includes eight new potential interchanges and nearly six miles of bridge structure.

To learn more, click here.

SR 516 Marks One Year of Construction

Construction on CFX’s SR 516 Lake–Orange Expressway has reached an exciting milestone: the one-year anniversary of work on the segment between SR 429 and the Orange/Lake County Line.

The new SR 429/SR 516 interchange is taking shape with the placement of new ramps and bridges near Schofield Road (Exit 13) in the Horizon West area. Once complete, this interchange will provide a critical connection between Lake and Orange counties, improving regional mobility and enhancing access for local residents and businesses.

Click here to learn more about how SR 516 plans to improve connectivity opportunities for Lake and Orange counties.