Orange County Finishes Boggy Creek Road Construction Ten Months Early
Widened Road Will Ease Traffic Congestion in Lake Nona Area
Orange County Public Works Highway Construction Division has completed work on Boggy Creek Road, which has been widened from a two-lane rural roadway to a four-lane divided urban roadway. The road stretches from the Orange-Osceola County line to Lake Nona Boulevard. Working on an accelerated schedule, the County opened the road for beneficial use in October 2023, approximately 300 days earlier than expected.
The $9.4 million transportation improvement project was completed ahead of schedule in large part thanks to the efficiency during the installation of underground structures, such as utilities lines. By completing that critical phase efficiently, the County was able to significantly increase production rates, and reduce the overall construction time.
“The underground work is critical to any highway construction project,” asserted Ken Leeming, P.E., Manager, Orange County Public Works Department, Highway Construction Division. “Additionally, the Contractor was able to minimize any delays caused by this past rainy season, which enabled us to navigate without significant weather delays.”
The Lake Nona area of Orange County is experiencing substantial growth, making Boggy Creek Road a vital thoroughfare for medical city employees, residents and people commuting from S.R. 417 south to Osceola County. The expansion will allow higher-volume traffic to have more travel lanes with better, more synchronized traffic signals to help with congestion and flow.
Additionally, proper access management — a median, bike lanes, and clear signage— will help significantly improve safety along the corridor. And as more growth occurs, the road will be able to be expanded from four lanes to six lanes. This option was built into the plan during the County’s conceptual analysis and design phases.
The Highway Construction division is responsible for selecting contractors, managing construction and testing everything along the way to ensure quality control. Highway Construction has a balancing act between motorists using a road being repaired, and contractors on the said road, with equipment and material. Additionally, they acknowledge that the requirement of maintaining access to businesses and residences during construction is very challenging.
“For residents and business owners, it can be incredibly frustrating,” explained Leeming. “While trying to improve a corridor, inconveniences will happen, so we encourage residents to call our office with questions and concerns. We welcome this feedback because we know the final product will be worth the temporary headaches.”
Leeming enjoys being able to take an active role in easing traffic congestion and improving road safety. “When I drive around town and see what we had our hands in to make driving, biking and walking safer, it makes me feel good,” he admitted. “It’s a process, but we do our best to maintain traffic flow during construction and always deliver the kind of excellent product that Orange County residents deserve.”