Look for Florida's Turnpike to get into the lodging business.

Officials haven't formally announced anything, but they're putting together plans to add as many as three hotels along the 312-mile highway, which stretches from Central Florida to Miami.

One will be at the Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie service plaza and another will be in Wildwood, where a new plaza will be built. A third hotel is being considered for turnpike headquarters at Turkey Lake in southwest Orlando.

This is all new stuff for Florida officials, who hope to make a few bucks and help drivers who want an overnight break. Some highways in other states, and other countries, have built similarly elaborate service plazas.

It's doubtful the moderate accommodations planned here -- along the lines of a Hampton Inn or Marriott Courtyard -- will threaten resorts like Disney and Universal.

"It's not a vacation spot. Not unless you just like highways," said Rick Nelson, the turnpike's director of business development and concessions management.

In fact, Nelson expects to speak with the attractions about theming some of the plazas.

Turnpike officials will hire a hotel company to run the properties and share the revenue, similar to how eight food concessions are operated now along the highway. Those outfits net the turnpike $7.5 million a year.

As for timing, look for work on the first project, at Wildwood, to begin this year.