Alligator Alley gets busy

There's another economic indicator that shows the economy continues to recover throughout South Florida: More vehicles on Interstate 75/Alligator Alley from Naples to Fort Lauderdale.

In a recent financial analysis of the toll road's debt, Fitch Ratings cited the increased traffic as a reason for giving Florida Department of Transportation's Alligator Alley bonds an A+ rating.

Alligator Alley, the 78-mile, four-lane tolled part of I-75 that connects Broward and Collier counties, posted a 6.4% year-over-year increase in traffic in fiscal 2015. In the first quarter of fiscal 2016, traffic rose 7.5% compared with the same quarter in 2015.