(The Center Square) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $18 million as the first of $100 million in the next five years to boost the state’s supply chain and aggregate storage.
State officials say the first five grant recipients will create an additional 1.2 million tons of aggregate materials storage and enable more rail access to existing storage facilities. These materials are used in construction and can include sand, gravel, crushed stone and recycled concrete.
“A strong supply chain is key to Florida’s economic strength,” DeSantis said during a news conference Friday in Bradenton. “We can’t rely on Washington – we need Florida-based solutions. These grants will help our state boost capacity and ensure vital materials reach projects on time.”
These projects are designed to assist in the Moving Florida Forward Initiative, which was passed in 2023 and funded by the state’s $4 billion budget surplus. These funds are being used to fund critical infrastructure projects designed to relieve congestion on the state highways and help the state deal with its phenomenal population growth.
One of those projects is the Interstate 75 interchange at Fruitville Road in Bradenton, which will be transformed from a traditional cloverleaf configuration into a diverging diamond design.
The five grants include:
• The Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad will receive $3.7 million for a new aggregate terminal in Lake City in north-central Florida to accommodate 48 rail cars and 200,000 tons of aggregate annually.
• Capital Asphalt is slated to receive $1.5 million for a new terminal in Tallahassee to accommodate 80,000 tons of aggregate annually.
• CSX will receive $3.9 million for a new terminal in Plant City with 20 acres of storage capacity and 250,000 tons of aggregate annually.
• The Port of Tampa Bay will receive $6.2 million for a new terminal with a capacity of 500,000 tons of lime rock annually.
• JAXPORT is due $2.6 million to expand its rail capacity and add 15 acres of storage to add 240,000 tons of aggregate annually.
“Many Floridians don’t spend a lot of time thinking about construction materials until a disruption in our ability to supply those materials impacts their community,” Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue said. “With the support and action of Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature, the transportation construction industry will be able to access these much-needed materials for our infrastructure projects that will help keep construction moving and on time.”