The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will present another update of planned safety enhancements for a troubled stretch of S.R. 426 in Winter Park. The community meeting is set for Thursday, Feb. 6, from 5:30-7 p.m. at Winter Park Events Center.
The plan took shape through the efforts of the Winter Park Road Crisis Campaign: a coalition of residents living along Osceola, Brewer, and Aloma avenues that worked to enlist city and state assistance in addressing safety concerns along the 1.7-mile corridor. The project includes elements proposed by residents and commuters during a series of community meetings held between June and October of 2023.
Among the approved safety measures are:
- Raised intersections and high-visibility crosswalks with pedestrian-activated signals.
- Dynamic curve systems with enhanced lighting.
- Median islands and reconstructed median separators.
- Pedestrian barriers, updated curbs, and safety signage.
- Speed feedback signs and speed tables.
Additional project details are available here.
The city of Winter Park committed $1.8 million to support the project, currently estimated at $9.6 million after an approved amendment to the raised intersection design. The new version replaces brick pavers with asphalt, which requires less maintenance and reduces the overall price tag by $611,000. The unused funds could then go toward a traffic signal at the intersection of Aloma and Cortland avenues, estimated at $800,000.
FDOT District Five Public Information Office Director Cindi Lane told the32789 that the February 6 meeting will be another opportunity for community feedback before the project enters the construction phase, now scheduled for early 2026. “Additionally,” she said, “the Department will let the community know what to expect during construction and how the FDOT will work to maintain traffic flow and access to properties.”
Lane adds that the cost for construction has not increased since 2023 but may change once construction bids are obtained.
Additional information about the upcoming meeting is available on the FDOT project web page.