Maitland's rush hour woes worsen

The Maitland road construction that’s been clogging local residents’ commutes since November is now set to take a month longer than expected.

The reworking of the intersection of U.S. Highway 17-92 and Horatio Avenue had original plans set for completion by the end of January, but with work still ongoing, city staff now anticipates the finish date to be Feb. 21.

On Monday, the Maitland City Council approved an additional $8,785 from the city’s traffic impact fee fund to be allocated to cover additional time and to plan changes to the construction project’s existing $1.5 million contract with Masci General Contractor Inc.

Public Works Director Rick Lemke said other additional allocations are likely in the coming weeks as construction finishes up. “Things always happen when you get out there on site and things aren’t quite what or where you planned,” he said.

On Jan. 22 a traffic accident that sent two to the hospital shut down the intersection for hours during rush hour. While the investigation into the accident is still ongoing, Maitland Police say they don’t believe the changing traffic patterns played a role in the crash.

Deputy Police Chief Bill McEachnie said the department hasn’t seen any other increase in accidents at the intersection since construction started.