State Road 534 Connector Approved

The Central Florida Expressway Authority's (CFX) governing board voted 7-3 to declare 44 acres of land in Orange County necessary for acquisition, despite opposition to the move.

The land, which includes some conservation acreage, will be used to build a toll road through the protected Split Oak Forest.

Three acres of Eagles Roost, a 232-acre Orange County-owned park, are now the agency's preferred route for a new segment of State Road 534 to connect State Road 417 in Orange County, near Boggy Creek Road, to Nova Road in Osceola County.

The agency also released its preferred route for the Southport Connector, a 15-mile tolled expressway in Southern Osceola County. It will traverse the Florida Wildlife Corridor and pass near the Disney Wilderness Preserve.