Subject:
Title
Approval Re: Resolution to Authorize the County Manager to Execute Agreements for Ellis Road Widening - District 5
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Fiscal Impact:
Any County financial commitments included in the agreements and contract-related documents for the Ellis Road Widening Project shall be within the approved County Operating and Capital Budget.
Dept/Office:
Public Works Department/Finance and Contracts Administration
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board of County Commissioners authorize the County Manager by resolution to execute agreements and all project-related documents to ensure timely project delivery and responsiveness to the County’s partners on the Ellis Road Widening Project, contingent upon County Attorney’s Office, Risk Management, and Purchasing Services review. It is further requested the Board authorize the County Manager to approve any Budget Change Requests associated with this item.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
Ellis Road is a direct link from I-95 to the Melbourne Orlando International Airport and the surrounding aerospace, defense, and healthcare sectors. Ellis Road from John Rodes Boulevard to Wickham Road, in its current two-lane configuration, is unable to accommodate the transportation demands of this vital corridor. In 2022, the County completed the design for the widening of Ellis Road from two to four lanes, approximately 1.7 miles, including sidewalks, bike lanes, roadway lighting, signalization, and drainage. These improvements will address vehicular congestion, freight bottlenecks, increase modal options, and reduce flooding issues. The right-of-way phase is administered by the State of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and is nearing completion.
A Working Group including FDOT, Brevard County, the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), the cities of West Melbourne and Melbourne, and the Melbourne Orlando International Airport was created to facilitate the construction phase. Through collaborative efforts of the Working Group, the funding to construct the Ellis Road Widening is expected to be adopted in the FDOT Five-Year Work Program (FPN 426905) for Fiscal Years 2026-2030 tentatively on July 1, 2025. Advanced clearing and grubbing for the project is anticipated to begin in summer 2025 to allow for utility relocations. Full construction is expected to follow in spring 2026.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
Please return the fully executed Resolution to the Public Works Department.