Orange County planning commission OKs Reams Road RCA study

HORIZON WEST – A road-construction project many have long anticipated might soon receive the final green light.

On Thursday, March 15, the Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve a recommendation of the Reams Road Roadway Conceptual Analysis Study's findings. The study will now go to the Board of County Commissioners for a work session in April, with a public hearing scheduled for May.

The study, which began in April 2017, was recently completed in early 2018. It involved the collection and analysis of traffic data, as well as evaluation of public feedback received from two community meetings held in October and December 2017.

Three roadway-widening project design options were presented during the meetings, with the Centered/Hybrid Alignment Alternative Design standing out as the preferred option to combat the traffic congestion of Reams Road.

“The Centered/Hybrid Alignment was recommended because it has no impact on residential or commercial structures and ... it would maintain the existing centerline of the road,” said Blanche Hardy, the project manager. "To accomplish this project option, the county will need to acquire right-of-way for both the north and south side of the road.”

According to the study, between 14,100 to 16,800 vehicles travel Reams Road daily, and by 2045, it’s estimated to increase to somewhere between 26,700 and 29,900 vehicles.

Hardy added the roadway is already failing west of Floridian Place, and the entire roadway is expected to fail by 2045 if nothing is done.

The chosen design would widen the roadway from two to four lanes measuring a total of 22 feet on both sides of a 19.5-foot median. A five-foot continuous sidewalk on the south side and a 14-foot multi-use trail on the north would also be constructed, with a wildlife crossing just east of Greenbank Boulevard.

If the study’s recommendations are BCC-approved, construction will begin in 2021 and is expected to take up to two years. 

For questions or more information, visit ReamsRoadstudy.com or contact Blanche Hardy at (407) 836-0257 or [email protected].