DeSantis just delivered one massive infrastructure win that left Democrats scrambling for excuses

Most politicians love to cut ribbons and make promises about fixing crumbling roads and bridges.

But very few of them actually know how to get the job done.

And DeSantis just delivered one massive infrastructure win that left Democrats scrambling for excuses.

DeSantis delivers $1.3 billion in infrastructure wins ahead of schedule

Ron DeSantis rolled into Tampa on Tuesday with some news that probably made a few Democrat governors reach for the antacids.

The Florida Governor announced the completion of the Howard Frankland Bridge replacement and broke ground on a major Interstate 275 expansion – projects that represent more than $1.3 billion in state investments.

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But here’s the part that should have every politician in Washington taking notes.

These projects are being delivered 15 years ahead of schedule.

While most government projects drag on for decades and balloon way over budget, DeSantis is finishing major infrastructure overhauls a decade and a half early.

“Today, I was proud to announce significant progress on two critical infrastructure projects in the Tampa Bay area: the new Howard Frankland Bridge and the I-275 Moving Florida Forward project in Pinellas County,” DeSantis said at Tampa International Airport. “Our Moving Florida Forward Initiative is delivering major improvements years ahead of schedule, reducing delays for families and businesses, and making long-term investments that will support Florida’s growth for generations to come.”

The Howard Frankland Bridge replacement alone represents the biggest transportation undertaking the Tampa Bay area has ever seen.

The new bridge increases traffic capacity by 50 percent and has been engineered to better withstand hurricanes.

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More than 200,000 drivers cross between Pinellas and Hillsborough counties on that bridge every single day.

Florida shows the rest of America how it’s actually done

DeSantis launched the Moving Florida Forward program in 2023, and it’s been fast-tracking more than 20 major congestion-relief projects across the state.

The I-275 expansion in Pinellas County that just broke ground will add express lanes and connect directly to the new Howard Frankland Bridge. State transportation officials estimate it will reduce travel delays by up to 85 percent.

The project will also generate more than $1.4 billion in regional economic value.

Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue praised the governor’s leadership on getting these projects moving. “I’m proud of the work of our FDOT team who is making quick work of the demolition of the old Howard Frankland Bridge and beginning construction of the much needed expansion of I-275 in Pinellas County,” Perdue stated.

But the numbers behind Florida’s infrastructure push tell an even bigger story.

The state has committed more than $68 billion to transportation improvements over the next five years.

That’s real money going toward actual projects that people can drive on, not endless studies and environmental reviews.

Since DeSantis took office, Florida’s population has grown from 21 million to 23.5 million people. That’s a lot of new residents who need roads, bridges, and hurricane evacuation routes.

“I don’t go out and beg people to move to Florida, but people vote with their feet,” DeSantis explained. “That means more people are going to be on the roadways. That means we’re going to have to do things to accommodate that.”

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Look, here’s what this really shows about conservative governance

You want to know why Florida keeps winning while other states struggle with basic infrastructure?

It comes down to one simple thing – competent leadership that actually knows how to execute.

DeSantis isn’t just cutting ribbons and making speeches. He’s using $7 billion from Florida’s state surplus to fund these projects upfront instead of borrowing money and saddling taxpayers with decades of debt payments.

Compare that to the disaster we saw with California’s high-speed rail project.

They’ve been “working” on that boondoggle since 2008, blown through tens of billions of dollars, and still don’t have a functional train system.

Or look at New York City’s Second Avenue subway extension that took nearly a century to build a few miles of track.

Meanwhile, DeSantis is delivering massive infrastructure wins 15 years ahead of schedule.

Florida has also been ranked the number one economy in the country by both US News and World Report and CNBC for three straight years.

By the end of this fiscal year, the state will have paid off about 50 percent of its total debt.

That’s what happens when you elect someone who understands that government’s job is to build roads and bridges, not to fund endless bureaucratic studies and pet projects.

The Moving Florida Forward program is proof that conservative governance actually works when you put competent people in charge.

While Democrats in Washington argue about spending trillions on their Green New Deal fantasies, DeSantis is fixing the roads that working families actually drive on every day.

And he’s doing it ahead of schedule and under budget.

What a concept.

¹ Anastasia Dawson, “DeSantis touts $1.3B investment in Tampa Bay transportation,” Tampa Bay Business Journal, August 26, 2025.

² Spectrum News Staff, “Gov. DeSantis touts Bay area, statewide transportation improvements,” Spectrum News Tampa, August 26, 2025.

³ Florida Governor’s Office, “Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Major Infrastructure Investments for Tampa Bay,” Press Release, August 26, 2025.