- August 14, 2026
Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Daytona Beach on Friday, Aug. 14, to announce an early start for a $56 million transportation project on Clyde Morris Boulevard.
The project, aimed at improving safety and efficiency to the 3-mile corridor between Mason Avenue and Beville Road, includes raised medians, wider sidewalks, a 14-foot-wide shared-use path, traffic signal reconstruction and a new pedestrian crossing at Buccaneer Way, according to a news release from the governor's office. A new pedestrian tunnel under Clyde Morris Boulevard, north of the main entrance to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, is also in the plans.
The governor announced at the press conference at Embry-Riddle that the project will start two years ahead of schedule.
“Improvements to Clyde Morris Boulevard have been a top priority for this region for years,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue. “Accelerating this project by two years will bring essential safety improvements to a very important corridor for Volusia County, Daytona Beach, and Embry-Riddle University.”
DeSantis also touted the university's new partnership with FDOT, which will provide contributions to the transportation technology field, specifically in Advanced Air Mobility and Autonomous Vehicles.
“I signed legislation last year to recognize AAM as an official mode of transportation in Florida," DeSantis said. "Now, we’re building the infrastructure to test these emerging technologies."
Construction on the project will begin this fall. It will be built in three segments over the next three years, with an estimated completion by 2029.
The governor's press release states that AAM technology has the potential to provide new transportation options for passenger air taxis, cargo delivery, medical transportation and emergency response. The state has partnered with Embry-Riddle to conduct research regarding AAM.
“We are deeply grateful for the visionary leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature, and the Florida Department of Transportation, whose commitment has positioned our state as the nation’s leader in advanced air mobility, workforce transformation and the creation of essential jobs that will benefit Floridians for decades to come,” said Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler. “The cutting-edge research taking place in Embry-Riddle’s Center for Advanced Air Mobility at its Research Park campus represents the university’s commitment to advancing innovation while also fueling economic development, evolving Florida’s supply chain and creating exponential new pathways for career and job prospects across the state.”
