Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway

Two sections were built, but the project was ultimately cancelled because of local opposition related to environmental concerns, including protecting the state's water supply and conservation of the Ocklawaha River Valley ecosystem, as well as national opposition for the costs being perceived as "government waste" with "limited national value".

[3] The idea of a canal across the Florida peninsula was first proposed by Philip II of Spain in 1567 as a shorter and safer route for Spanish treasure ships.

The Florida Railroad, finished in 1861, served a similar purpose, connecting the Atlantic Ocean at Fernandina to the Gulf of Mexico at Cedar Key.

At the time, thirteen million cubic yards (9,900,000 m3) of material had already been excavated, 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of land cleared, and four bridge piers constructed near Ocala.

[citation needed] Planning was once again given the go-ahead in 1963 with support from President John F. Kennedy, who allocated one million dollars to the project.

The lawsuit resulted in a temporary injunction against the project in January 1971, and days later was halted by President Richard Nixon's signing of an executive order.

The following are the major roads, railroads, and locks and dams cross the path of the canal:[citation needed] Between Lake Rousseau and the Ocklawaha River, discontinuous unwatered excavations mark the canal's planned path, along with different vegetation patterns on the land acquired for the project (as seen from the air).