Florida might speed up some infrastructure projects, taking advantage of motorists staying off roads because of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday.
“Given that the traffic is down and everything, I’m going to be looking at accelerating some of these infrastructure projects,” DeSantis told reporters at the Capitol.
“When you’re doing those on busy roads, it causes a lot of problems,” DeSantis continued. “When those (roads) are no longer busy, and if that’s going to be the case for the next month, then we’re going to need to make use of that time.”
DeSantis said details about what projects could be moved up should be available Wednesday.
Last week, Key West officials decided to take advantage of sparse traffic in the usual tourist destination to begin a repaving project on the iconic and typically bustling Duval Street, according to the Keys Weekly.
DeSantis’ comments followed an announcement earlier in the day by President Donald Trump about undertaking another round of stimulus, this time $2 trillion on public works programs. “With interest rates for the United States being at ZERO, this is the time to do our decades long awaited Infrastructure Bill,” Trump tweeted.
“It should be VERY BIG & BOLD, Two Trillion Dollars, and be focused solely on jobs and rebuilding the once great infrastructure of our Country! Phase 4.” U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had suggested the federal government focus on infrastructure in a conference call with reporters on Monday.
