Italy’s Webuild Group, through its US subsidiary Lane, has won a $233m contract to widen an 11km section of Florida’s Turnpike Mainline (also known as State Road 19), a major toll highway that is becoming more congested.

It was Lane’s second highway job won in Florida last month, the first being a $223m design-and-build contract to improve the I-275/I-4 highway interchange in Tampa.

Commissioned by the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise of the Department of Transportation, the contract includes widening the section from four to eight lanes between the Minneola Interchange and US 27 in Lake County near Orlando.

Other work will include new bridge structures, toll sites, lighting, intelligent traffic systems, and interchange improvements. Work is expected to begin this fall.

The Turnpike Mainline crosses Florida from Miami in the south to I-75 near Wildwood to the north. A major route for trucks, it has seen traffic increase in recent years, causing congestion and delays.

As well as adding everyday capacity, the work is intended to boost the highway as a hurricane evacuation route.