STARKE, Fla. — After 20 years of study and three years of construction, the Starke Truck Route officially opened on Friday morning.....
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said the project finished on time and is expected to allow for future growth in the area.
"[Our crews] got out here, they worked their butts off and we got it open early," said Troy Roberts, FDOT spokesperson. "There's been a lot of work that has gone into [the road] and we're really excited that it's open."
The bypass, which cost the state $90 million, has two exits: one at State Road 100 from Starke to Lake Butler and one at State Road 16 from Starke to Raiford.
FDOT estimates that the new U.S. 301 route will see anywhere from 24,000 to 30,000 cars per day. Roberts said he does not expect the new bypass will have a significant effect on Starke businesses.
"You know, people that are gonna stop in Starke are still gonna stop in Starke," Roberts said. "Our biggest goal for this is removing some of those trucks that aren't stopping, getting them on this road and getting them where they're trying to go."
In 2018, the On Your Side team spoke with some Starke residents and area workers about their expectations for the bypass. Not all were convinced that it would seriously hurt businesses, although there was skepticism.
"It takes up to 30 minutes to get from one end of Starke to another on a busy Friday night," said lifelong resident and Beef-O-Brady's General Manager Tina Harris at the time.
FDOT said construction will continue on the road in the coming weeks as workers complete some minor construction.