Orange County officials are preparing to drop millions of dollars on a utility works and road widening project on the county’s east-side.
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs is scheduled on Wednesday to break ground on the $30.2 million project that will 4-lane nearly 4 miles of heavily used Alafaya Trail south of Curry Ford Road. The project, which is expected to be completed in two-and-a-half years, will widen Alafaya Trail, from Avalon Park to Mark Twain Boulevard.
Financed mostly from government-collected impact fees, the project is a public/private partnership which will entail, in addition to the 4-travel lanes, 10 storm-water ponds, raised grass median, 12,000 feet of retaining wall and utility works. Project documents indicate that there will be no landscaping or lighting due to budgetary constraints.
Although initially hard to come by, Orange County officials said the project is anticipated to support approximately 840 construction and other support jobs over its duration, although its unclear how much of these will be new ones. Jr. Davis Construction Company, Inc., a Kissimmee-based private company and the lowest bidder, was awarded the procurement and construction contract.
Commissioner Jennifer Thompson (District 4), commenting on the project’s start-up said in a statement, “…More than just easing traffic and daily commute headaches, the multi-lane roadway will provide a real chance to stimulate the next wave of high-tech job growth opportunities for the east Orange County region. That’s the big picture, and that’s something that should excite residents, business owners and Central Florida alike.”
Alafaya Trail is the transportation lifeline for more than 100,000 residents living within a 5 mile radius of this project, including the Avalon Park, Eastwood and Stoneybrook areas of east Orange County.
