Apopka-Vineland Road medians set to get beautification treatment this summer

SOUTHWEST ORANGE  Those who frequent South Apopka-Vineland Road will soon be seeing the results of Orange County’s Roadway Median Tree Program.

It's part of the $9-million county program — $15,000 per mile for design and $85,000 per mile for installation and a two-year maintenance contract — which has been in the works for years but officially approved by the Board of County Commissioners in 2015. The county is set to landscape 92 miles of its medians over the next six years, and segments of Apopka-Vineland Road will be among the first to get the beautification treatment.

In total, 19.1 miles of Dr. Phillips roads, 7.5 miles of Ocoee roads and 4 miles of Horizon West roads are included in the program.

Funds were released in October 2016, and the county has since been working with landscape architects and engineers to begin the design phase. Since then, they have identified a list of 14 trees suitable for the medians — among them are the Eagleston Holly, Southern Magnolia, Bald Cypress, Ligustrum tree, Fringe tree, Crape Myrtle, Pygmy Date Palm, Sylvester Date Palm and Cabbage Palm.

According to the county, each district gets approximately 10 miles per year of landscaping. For the fiscal 2015-16 year, Apopka-Vineland has been planned and will be landscaped this summer from Conroy Windermere Road south to Darlene Drive. The segment from Darlene Drive to Lake Street will also be landscaped within the next five years.

The contractor will be required to water and maintain the trees for the first two years after installation, and then the county will take over maintenance responsibilities.

Design for Apopka-Vineland’s medians from Conroy Windermere Road to Darlene Drive are expected to be complete by the end of March. The county hopes to begin the installation process by mid to late summer.

Contact Danielle Hendrix at [email protected].