TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Leon County has secured $21 million to improve the safety of the North Monroe Corridor.
- Money will be invested in the area between Tharpe Street and Capital Circle NW.
- Leon County Commissioner Rick Minor has pushing for this funding for years.
- Watch the video below to see when construction is set to begin and how neighbors feel about the progress.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Big changes coming to North Monroe after Leon County secured a multi-million dollar investment for the area. I’m Maya Sargent, your Northwest Tallahassee neighborhood reporter, breaking down how this money will improve safety features and when we can expect construction to start.
The number one gateway into Tallahassee is getting a major upgrade, that's with a $21 million investment, $16.8M from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and $4.2M from Blueprint.
"This funding from US DOT will save lives on North Monroe," said Leon County Commissioner Rick Minor. "It's going to help us upgrade intersections, upgrade crosswalks, as well as fill in gaps in sidewalks and bike lanes, and a bunch of other things too."
The money will improve conditions on North Monroe between Tharpe Street and Capital Circle NW.
It's funding that Commissioner Minor has been pushing for, creating a Monroe Makeover petition back in February 2024 that was signed by 1600 citizens and businesses.
Minor calls securing this funding a "big win."
"We have more people driving into our community through that North Monroe I-10 interchange than any other spot," said Minor. "So this is a great, huge step in helping us make North Monroe something we can be proud of."
On top of safety improvements, another benefit is economic success. Minor said when public investment happens, private investment often follows.
Something neighbor Doug Ott is excited about.
"What's exciting is that millions will be spent on this, but just think the other businesses that say we want to innovate, renovate right in this corridor to make it even more special, so they'll have trust that wow money is being spent, I want to spend there," said Ott.
Minor said they will continue to keep the community informed about how construction will affect the area.
So during the design phase, we'll work with USDOT and the Florida Department of Transportation to decide exactly when and where the construction will take place," said Minor. "So as we get that information identified, we'll make sure we share that with the public."
So, what does the timeline look like for this project: planning will start in the new year, with construction beginning in 2028.
In Northwest Tallahassee, Maya Sargent, ABC 27
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