Central Florida Expressway Authority

Overview & History

State Road 429 (Daniel Webster Western Beltway) extends nearly 23 miles from U.S. Highway 441 in Apopka south to Interstate 4 in Osceola County, providing West Orange and Osceola counties with an alternate north-south route to heavily traveled Interstate-4.

The State Road 429 also greatly enhances access to the Florida’s Turnpike and area attractions.

The expressway features CFX’s first “open-road tolling” system for travelers using E-PASS or other accepted electronic transponders. Under the new design, E-PASS customers pay tolls automatically while traveling under gantries on the expressway. Customers who prefer to pay with cash must stop at conventional tollbooths.

State Road 429 becomes the Wekiva Parkway when it crosses U.S. Highway 441 in Apopka. The final link in the Central Florida Beltway, the parkway was built in stages by CFX and the Florida Department of Transportation. Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise handles the toll operations on the FDOT sections. The parkway was completed in 2024.

1974

Studies for the Western Beltway date back to 1974. By the early 1980s, plans were taking shape for a 55-mile, limited access road connecting to Interstate-4 in Seminole and Osceola counties. However, the portion from US 441 in Apopka north and east into Seminole County — designated as Part B — was eliminated after it was deemed to pose an adverse environmental impact on the Wekiva River Aquatic Preserve.

121.9k

Vehicles per Day

Miles of Expressway

Average Speed

Features

CFX leverages emerging technology and expert planning to ensure that drivers enjoy safe, efficient travel whether coming, going or just passing through the region. While Central Florida expressways share this legacy of connection, each has its own unique history.

Open-Road Tolling

In 2000, State Road 429 opened as the first CFX expressway built with open-road tolling (ORT), an electronic system that replaced tollbooths on the main travel lanes. With ORT, travelers using E-PASS or other accepted electronic transponders pay tolls automatically while passing under gantries at posted speed limits. Customer response to the new toll-collection system was so positive that CFX refitted existing expressways with it and made ORT the standard for new expressways.