New lanes will ease C.R. 535 congestion, W.G. officials say

WINTER GARDEN – If you’ve traveled past the County Road 535 and Stoneybrook West Parkway intersection recently, you may have noticed construction workers in their familiar orange hard hats tearing up the left side of road.

To relieve the routine morning and evening traffic congestion that plagues C.R. 535, the city of Winter Garden has been working on a road improvement plan encompassing significant changes to the affected area. One of those changes is the addition of a dedicated right-turn lane and an additional left lane.

“It’s a significant change to the whole road system,” City Manager Mike Bollhoefer said. “We’re getting an additional left lane thrown in, and if you’re heading south on 535, once you approach Stoneybrook Parkway, we’re adding an additional right-turn lane to get on to the Stoneybrook corridor and 429. So, instead of just a single right-turn lane there, you’ll have double right-turn lanes. Because right now, with the single right-turn lane, traffic is really backing up on 535.”

The city has been analyzing the area’s traffic for the past five years and making small improvements in phases for the past two years. This recent project is the start of the second phase of multiple planned road improvements that will total an estimated $2 million, which will be funded primarily from impact fees.

Bollhoefer estimates phase two of the road improvements, including the additional right-turn lane and left lane, will be completed in about six months. 

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Contact Gabby Baquero at [email protected].