ORLANDO, Fla. – Residents in east Orange County are sharing their thoughts and concerns about a new proposed toll road that runs along State Road 50 during a public hearing.
Stephanie Eisenberg with Florida's Turnpike said current plans for the "Colonial Parkway" will build a new toll road, State Road 504, along the 9-mile stretch of Colonial Drive from State Road 408 to State Road 520.
"It's moving those lanes over and building a new toll road right in between, so we'll have new lanes going right through that are toll to help with the traffic that's already at capacity," Eisenberg said.
Eisenberg said the final design could still change. That is why Florida's Turnpike Enterprise and the Florida Department of Transportation are holding a public hearing to get feedback from the community. The public was invited to speak to project leaders and share their thoughts and concerns about the alignment. The current plan runs along several businesses and homes.
"Right of way will probably be part of this project, but we won't know until the design has been finalized," Eisenberg said.
Raymond Powers lives in a mobile home park along State Road 50. He said traffic is terrible during rush hour and this expansion is needed.
"It's part of growth. You have to learn to live with it," Powers said.
But others, like Robert Loar, are cautiously optimistic. He said he's concerned the new road could cause more traffic problems.
"If it helps the traffic, it's worth it. That's the issue. If it's not going to do anything about the traffic it's a waste of time," Loar said.
The public hearing is being held at the DoubleTree Hotel Orlando East-UCF area at 12125 High Tech Avenue. An open house starts at 5 p.m. and a formal presentation begins at 6:30 p.m.
If you can't attend the hearing, you can leave a comment online here. The deadline to submit comments online is Oct. 7.