MAITLAND, Fla. – A major traffic shift took place this weekend along westbound Maitland Boulevard.
“Right now we're standing on the newly elevated westbound Maitland Boulevard roadway,” Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jessica Ottaviano said Friday. “Come this weekend, we're actually going to be opening this to the public.”
The move marked the final configuration of the newly elevated lanes near Hope Road.
“Starting Saturday at 8 p.m., we'll start switching the traffic over to the newly elevated roadway, but it won't be completely open until about Sunday around noon,” Ottaviano said.
Drivers with plans to travel west on Maitland Boulevard should be prepared for changes from Hope Road going over I-4 all the way to Maitland Summit.
One of many significant changes is intended to ease backups at Lake Destiny.
After Sunday, drivers will be able to access both northbound and southbound Lake Destiny Road from westbound Maitland Boulevard, but there is a trade-off.
“The biggest change is you will no longer have access from Lake Destiny onto westbound Maitland Boulevard. You'll need to either access from South Hall or Keller,” Ottaviano said.
A new frontage road from Keller to Maitland Summit will help traffic get around locally and avoid Maitland Boulevard.
A new traffic signal on Hope Road will help drivers access Westbound I-4.
“You'll need to get all the way in the left lane and experience a traffic signal here to access the I-4 westbound ramp,” Ottaviano said.
To stay westbound on Maitland Boulevard or get onto eastbound I-4, traffic must stick to the right lane. Pay close attention to the signs, Ottaviano warns.