What you need to know:
- Commissioners approved $25M as the first half of a $50M commitment to a two-mile toll road to Orlando Sanford International Airport
- Under the interlocal agreement, CFX owns the project and all toll revenue; the county formally waived any claim to returns
- If CFX misses key deadlines, the county can demand its money back — the only financial protection in the deal
- About 25 parcels, including eight homes, are in the path of the preferred route
Seminole County commissioners voted Feb. 24 to send $25 million to the Central Florida Expressway Authority for a new toll road the county will help pay for but never profit from.
The budget transfer, approved unanimously on the consent agenda, is the first installment of a $50 million commitment toward the SR 417 Sanford Airport Connector, a two-mile, two-lane toll road that would link State Road 417 to Orlando Sanford International Airport. The total project is estimated to cost $200.4 million, according to CFX. Projected toll revenue would cover about $48 million.
The county’s $50 million was the price of entry.
“The reason that our money was put in to start out with is because we would have failed the feasibility study without that contribution, so the road would not have been built,” Chair Andria Herr said. “Those were our choices.”
Who keeps the tolls?
Vice Chair Lee Constantine asked the question that the numbers raise: Can the county get any of its money back?
“As CFX collects the tolls for that specific area, is there an opportunity for us to collect any money back from what we are contributing?” Constantine asked.
“I believe no,” Herr said.
Constantine pressed: “So as it becomes a success, though, we won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of our dollars?”
“You’ll be able to enjoy the economic development of the airport,” Herr responded. “That is the fruit of our dollars.”
The interlocal agreement between CFX and Seminole County, reviewed by this newsroom, confirms her assessment. Under Section 10, CFX has exclusive ownership of the project and the exclusive right to collect all tolls. The county irrevocably waived all rights to any project revenue.
What protections does the county have?
The agreement’s clawback provisions are the county’s only financial safeguard. If CFX fails to complete 60 percent of the design by Sept. 30, 2028, the county can demand return of its full $50 million. If CFX meets that milestone but fails to issue a construction notice to proceed by Dec. 31, 2034, or if the road is not open to traffic by Dec. 31, 2038, the county can demand return of the second $25 million.
The money comes from the county’s 2024 Infrastructure Sales Tax Fund. After the transfer, reserves in that fund total approximately $34 million, according to the county. A second $25 million payment is due during fiscal year 2028.
What the road would do
Commissioner Jay Zembower framed the project in terms of daily commuter frustration.
“This is gonna be huge for Lake Mary Boulevard access,” Zembower said, describing the drive between Sanford and Lake Mary as “a real chore during rush hour, either way.”
The connector would run along Route 2A, the alignment CFX selected in October 2025. It would directly affect about 25 parcels, including eight residential properties, according to CFX’s route study. Right-of-way acquisition begins once design work is underway, according to Brian Hutchings, CFX’s senior manager of community relations.
What’s next
Following receipt of the county’s $25 million, CFX will begin procuring a design consultant, Hutchings said. A detailed cost breakdown and CFX’s plan for funding the remaining gap will be available when the authority releases its draft 2026-2027 Five Year Work Plan this spring and summer.
The CFX board approved the interlocal agreement unanimously on Feb. 12. Herr noted the milestone during commissioner reports: “We are off to the races.”