Strategic Intermodal System highway corridors.

(1) The department shall plan and develop Strategic Intermodal System highway corridors, including limited and controlled access facilities, allowing for high-speed and high-volume traffic movements within the state. The primary function of the corridors is to provide such traffic movements. Access to abutting land is subordinate to this function, and such access must be prohibited or highly regulated.

(2) Strategic Intermodal System highway corridors shall include facilities from the following components of the State Highway System that meet the criteria adopted by the department pursuant to s. 339.63:

(a) Interstate highways.

(b) The Florida Turnpike System.

(c) Interregional and intercity limited access facilities.

(d) Existing interregional and intercity arterial highways previously upgraded or upgraded in the future to limited access or controlled access facility standards.

(e) New limited access facilities necessary to complete a balanced statewide system.

(3) The department shall adhere to the following policy guidelines in the development of Strategic Intermodal System highway corridors. The department shall:

(a) Make capacity improvements to existing facilities where feasible to minimize costs and environmental impacts.

(b) Identify appropriate arterial highways in major transportation corridors for inclusion in a program to bring these facilities up to limited access or controlled access facility standards.

(c) Coordinate proposed projects with appropriate limited access projects undertaken by expressway authorities and local governmental entities.

(d) Maximize the use of limited access facility standards when constructing new arterial highways.

(e) Identify appropriate new limited access highways for inclusion as a part of the Florida Turnpike System.

(f) To the maximum extent feasible, ensure that proposed projects are consistent with approved local government comprehensive plans of the local jurisdictions in which such facilities are to be located and with the transportation improvement program of any metropolitan planning organization where such facilities are to be located.

(4) The department shall develop and maintain a plan of Strategic Intermodal System highway corridor projects that are anticipated to be let to contract for construction within a time period of at least 20 years. The department shall prioritize projects affecting gaps in a corridor so that the corridor becomes contiguous in its functional characteristics across the corridor. The plan must also identify when segments of the corridor will meet the standards and criteria developed pursuant to subsection (5).

(5) The department shall establish the standards and criteria for the functional characteristics and design of facilities proposed as part of Strategic Intermodal System highway corridors.

(6) For the purposes of developing the proposed Strategic Intermodal System highway corridors, beginning in fiscal year 2012-2013 and for each fiscal year thereafter, the minimum amount allocated shall be based on the fiscal year 2003-2004 allocation of $450 million adjusted annually by the change in the Consumer Price Index for the prior fiscal year compared to the Consumer Price Index for fiscal year 2003-2004.

(7) Any project to be constructed as part of a Strategic Intermodal System highway corridor shall be included in the department’s adopted work program. Any Strategic Intermodal System highway corridor projects that are added to or deleted from the previous adopted work program, or any modification to Strategic Intermodal System highway corridor projects contained in the previous adopted work program, shall be specifically identified and submitted as a separate part of the tentative work program.