Greetings Neighbor, 

Last week, Orange County Project Managers involved with the Alafaya Trail Widening Project and I hosted a community meeting at the Stoneybrook Fitness Center.  We had a great turnout and insightful discussion concerning Alafaya Trail Construction.  For the benefit of those who were unable to attend, here is a review of the most commonly asked questions and answers that were provided by Julie Naditz, Orange County Division Manger of Highway Construction:  

Answer - The county and contractor got together to see if anything can be done.  A section of sod at the northern corner could be replaced with asphalt to widen the right turn lane.  This will provide for cars to make a wider turn and could improve this condition.  The contractor says he could have this complete within the next 2 weeks.

Answer - We checked and the valve is only sticking up one half inch.  The valve needs to remain in place and will not be a problem after final paving.

Answer - The county contract does not call for police directing traffic and is not part of the contract.  This would be an additional expense.  Also, the minimum contract for off duty police is 4 hours so we would have to pay a full day.  This would be cost prohibitive.

Answer - The speed limit on Alafaya Trail from Curry Ford Road to Avalon Park Blvd. was 55 mph before construction.  When construction started, the speed limit was lowered to 45 mph.  This complies with FDOT guidelines which state that the speed limit in construction areas should not be lowered more than 10 mph below the original speed limit.  If the speed limit were lowered below 45 mph, it is very likely that it would be ignored by many motorists, and may result in operating speeds higher than a more realistic speed limit of 45 mph.  Therefore, Traffic Engineering does not recommend lowering the speed limit below 45 mph.

Answer - Landscaping and street lighting were removed from the Alafaya Trail construction due to the economic downturn and budgetary constraints.  The county's  approach to these issues will be to re-evaluate in 5 years.  This is on my radar screen and I will keep you in the loop on any changes or opportunities to expedite.

Answer - We checked the plans and there will not be a wall or landscaping adjacent to the golf course.

This is the state of the Alafaya Trail Widening Project but do stay tuned for additional updates as the project progresses.  Construction is slated to terminate in late 2013.  

On a final note, I will be conducting another community meeting East Orange County sometime in early May for ALL District 4 residents to attend so keep an eye open for those details which will be released soon.

Best Regards,