OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Tuesday marked the first full day wheels hit the pavement on an expanded roadway that used to be known for traffic backups in Osceola County.
The 2.6 mile stretch is the final section of the project between U.S. Highway 17-92 and U.S. 192 expanded from two, to four lanes. According to the Osceola County Public Works traffic counts map, an average of 24,642 drivers used Poinciana Boulevard daily in 2015. Doris Huggins, a resident of Intercession City, said she drives that route daily.
"Oh it was horrible, it would take us over an hour sometimes to get home from 192," said Huggins.
At Tuesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony, Osceola County Commissioners said the $8 million project took nearly seven years to complete. Commissioners said there were several project delays that pushed the completion date back by 240 days.
"The road itself has been overloaded with traffic for many years and just getting the funding out ahead of us and getting it done is just an outstanding thing," said Michael Harford, County Commissioner, District 1.
Commissioners also said the opening of this road is key in the expansion of Osceola County and the future of SunRail in the area.