-
New lanes of the north Simpson Road bridge over Boggy Creek are in use, and two new lanes are coming close to fruition. PHOTO/KEN JACKSON -
New lanes of the north Simpson Road bridge over Boggy Creek are in use, and two new lanes are coming close to fruition. PHOTO/OSCEOLA COUNTY
If you drive the northernmost section of Simpson Road, between Osceola Parkway and Boggy Creek Road, you understand roads under construction.
Orange County just completed the four-laning of Boggy Creek to Lake Nona Boulevard and the 417 interchange, and Osceola County is working on Simpson. Work is coming along, with important pieces like the Boggy Creek bridge widening and the two new lanes soon to be completed. Starting last week, the rest of the work on Simpson Road began— and, always remember, it gets (briefly) worse before it gets (much) better.
The $103 million Simpson project will be done concurrently in two sections — the north segment from Fortune Road to Myers Road, and the south segment from U.S. Highway 192 to Fortune Road. Work on the southbound right-of-way is already visible.
The 2.64-mile stretch between Fortune Road and Myers Road just south of Osceola Parkway will become a divided four-lane roadway and include a median and 10-foot path for cyclists and pedestrians on both sides of the road to share. The project also includes new stormwater ponds, a closed drainage system, signal upgrades at intersections with sidewalks and the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). County officials say the project is scheduled to take approximately three years to complete.
The project south of Fortune Road to U.S. Highway 192 includes milling and paving, pavement widening, curb ramp and sidewalk upgrades, gravity walls, drainage ponds with new pipes and signing and pavement markings. New traffic signals are planned to be installed at New Beginnings, near the School District’s bus and transportation depot, and Country Lane, and existing signaled intersections will get upgraded signals and ITS components. This section is anticipated to take approximately two years to complete, the county said.
Since work will take place in daytime and nighttime hours, drivers who use Simpson Road regularly should be (and stay) aware of changes in traffic patterns as the construction progresses — watch for the message boards and signage for ongoing updates.
Information from the county on the project is online at www.Osceola. org/ go/ SimpsonRoad. Updates on the other projects going on as part of a multi-billion dollar road and infrastructure measure — Neptune Road, Poinciana Boulevard, Partin Settlement Road and south Boggy Creek Road—can be found at www.osceola.org/go/trafficalerts.
