SANFORD, Fla. – There’s a new traffic pattern on State Road 46 in Seminole County, and it’s causing confusion for some drivers.
The Florida Department of Transportation is working on a project to add medians, narrow the lanes, and widen sidewalks to make it safer for drivers and pedestrians, but some people who travel the stretch of road east of U.S. 17-92 every day say it’s a mess.
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Our News 6 cameras captured multiple cars that ended up on the wrong side of the double-yellow line at 25th Street and Sanford Avenue. The drivers were aiming to turn left onto Sanford Avenue, but without a turn lane they drove into the westbound lanes instead.
Lacey Laird and Victoria Huggins live just down the street. They say it’s happening every single day.
“It’s very difficult to turn in and out of our streets just because of the backed-up traffic and no turn lanes,” Laird said.
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Huggins called it “complete and total chaos.” She said she hears car crashes from her house, horns honking, and people slamming on the brakes.
Both Laird and Huggins said it’s not just disrupting their day or their drive, it’s downright dangerous.
Laird showed our News 6 crew a photo of a crash at 25th street and Park Avenue that she took just a few days before.
“There was a car, two cars, and the one behind it is flipped over,” Laird said. “So, we have told FDOT that there’s been multiple accidents and it’s really a matter of life and death at this point.”
Laird says the traffic troubles started in September.
“They said that they’re trying to make it safer, but in reality, it’s only made things worse,” Laird said. “This road is very busy and the construction should have been started right away, when in reality the barricades were dropped off and nothing has been done since.”
News 6 reached out to FDOT and we were told construction is just getting started on this project, which aims to improve safety along State Road 46 from French Avenue (U.S. 17-92) to Mellonville Avenue in Sanford.
When it is complete, the sidewalks will be widened on the westbound side of S.R. 46 to 10 feet to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. The widths of the travel lanes will be adjusted to 11 feet for the outside lanes and 10 feet for the inside lanes to make room for a new 6-foot-wide bicycle lane along eastbound 25th Street.
FDOT also plans on adding raised medians near the intersections of Myrtle, Oak, Magnolia, Palmetto, Poinsetta, Yale, Orange and Bay avenues. A spokesperson told News 6 the medians should reduce the likelihood of left turn and angle crashes.
Several other improvements are also in the works, including longer turn lanes to ease congestion during peak hours.
Before construction began, FDOT implemented what it calls a “maintenance of traffic plan” — signs and barrels were placed in the project area and changes were made to traffic signals.
FDOT says its team has received complaints from the public and has made adjustments already, adding it plans on making more improvements in the coming days.
The following statement was sent to News 6 when we asked what their plan was to get results:
“Thank you for your interest in the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) project to improve safety and operations on 25th Street (State Road (S.R.) 46) from French Avenue (U.S. 17-92) to Mellonville Avenue in Sanford.
“Construction is just getting started on this project, which is intended to enhance safety for everyone, including motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Several improvements are planned. The westbound sidewalk will be expanded to 10 feet to improve pedestrian mobility and accommodate bicycles. Travel lane widths will be adjusted to 11 feet for the outside lanes and 10 feet for the inside lanes to accommodate a new 6-foot-wide bicycle lane along eastbound 25th Street. This new bicycle lane will connect to the existing one on Mellonville Avenue.
“Raised medians will be added near the intersections of Myrtle Avenue, Oak Avenue, Magnolia Avenue, Palmetto Avenue, Poinsetta Avenue, Yale Avenue, Orange Avenue, and Bay Avenue. These medians will reduce the likelihood of left turn and angle crashes. Traffic separators will also be placed next to the westbound left turn lanes at French Avenue and Sanford Avenue. Furthermore, turn lanes will be extended to accommodate higher traffic volumes, improving overall traffic flow and reducing congestion during peak hours. Lastly, the project includes drainage improvements and upgraded curb ramps to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
“The project webpage is at https://www.cflroads.com/project/445316-1.
“To prepare for construction, a Maintenance of Traffic plan has been implemented with signage, barrels, and changes to traffic signals. Traffic has been shifted and new lane striping has been installed. The construction team quickly observed, and also received complaints from area residents, indicating the changes were causing traffic backups, especially at Sanford Avenue, and confusion for some motorists about the traffic signal changes. Some drivers have been observed driving into the opposing lane or into the construction work zone to go around a motorist waiting to turn left.
“Safety is the Department’s top priority. With these concerns, the construction team quickly began adjustments to the Maintenance of Traffic, and additional improvements will be made in the coming days.
“New traffic signal heads were installed Tuesday night, and the contractor started the new programming and adjusted traffic signal timing Wednesday night. These changes introduced protected left turn sequencing for westbound traffic at both Sanford Avenue and Park Avenue, while for eastbound traffic, the protected left turn sequencing is at Mellonville Avenue.
“The contractor has also added more barrels, beyond the normal 50-foot spacing, to help further guide motorists. Those barrels will remain in place until a low-profile concrete barrier wall is constructed to provide a safe work zone for crews doing utility and drainage work. Installation of the low-profile concrete barrier wall began Wednesday night, and it will take several days to complete construction of the wall in the entire corridor.
“The roadway was cleaned Tuesday night and additional street-sweeping will be done tonight (Thursday) to enhance the visibility of the new pavement striping. The Department is also considering additional striping to ensure a safe work zone as construction gets underway.
“Our team is closely monitoring traffic both in-person and by using intersection cameras to observe driver behavior to determine if additional adjustments are needed. FDOT is committed to providing a safe corridor during construction and is looking forward to the safety benefits this project will bring to S.R. 46.
“FDOT reminds motorists to follow posted signage, drive the speed limit, be patient, avoid distractions, and pay close attention when driving through the construction zone. We all play a role in making sure everyone gets home safe.”
RECAP:
The shift in lanes takes place from French Avenue (U.S. 17-92) to Mellonville Avenue.
Designated left turn lanes are now through lanes for drivers going east and west on S.R. 46.
The new traffic pattern is for a Florida Department of Transportation project that the state expects will improve safety and operations along S.R. 46.
The project involves the following key changes:
- Sidewalk expansions to 10 feet to improve pedestrian mobility and accommodate bicycles
- A new bicycle lane to connect the existing one on Mellonville Avenue
- The extension of turn lanes to accommodate higher traffic volume
- Raised medians near several intersections along S.R. 46
The project also includes drainage improvements and upgraded curb ramps to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
RESOURCES:
FDOT’s Safety Improvements presentation
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