OVIEDO, Fla. – During rush hour, it’s not uncommon for drivers in Oviedo to get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Our News 6 team spoke with people in the area Thursday, who said it can add almost an hour to their commute when trying to get across town at peak travel times.
“It’s all very crowded,” said one man. “It can add a good 30 to 45 minutes to my drive.”
“It’s very bad,” said another man. “You know, stop and go.”
[WATCH: Trooper Steve On Patrol navigates construction at Oviedo Mall]
Drivers say it’s not only frustrating, but they also fear the congestion will get worse as more people move east.
“There’s a lot of people and not enough roads, not enough infrastructure, to handle the influx of people,” said one driver.
Seminole County Commissioner Bob Dallari, a former Oviedo city councilman, says traffic and transportation are some of the biggest issues in Oviedo. News 6 spoke with him about plans to continue widening C.R. 419 east of Oviedo High School.
“The key thing about Oviedo is that if you want to go north and south, which is where most of the traffic is, you have to go east and west,” said Dallari. “The road that we’re talking about now, from Oviedo High School to Jackson Heights [Middle School], we’ve been doing that road for 20 years. This is the last piece of it.”
[WATCH: Here are Seminole County’s big plans for Slavia Road in Oviedo]
Phase 3 of the project will widen an approximately 1.2-mile stretch of C.R. 419 from Adeline B Tinsley Way to Lockwood Boulevard. It’s currently in the design phase, according to Seminole County officials, who celebrated the completion of phase 2 in the spring.
Recently, Oviedo’s City Council approved a joint funding agreement with the county for the design of the final phase. Documents included in the council’s agenda show the city’s portion of the $1,804,741 design cost is 33% ($595,564). The money will be allocated from the city’s sales tax funds.
“Most of the right-of-way has already been attained, and we’re now into the design aspect of it to try to move that project forward,” said Dallari.
County officials called the completion of phase 2 a “milestone” in a decades-long effort to ease congestion out east. As work on phase 3 is underway, population estimates suggest another 40,000 people will call Seminole County home by 2035.
There are also new developments already in the works in the area, including a plan to build 170 apartment units for those 55+, and add 6,000 square feet of commercial space to a parcel of land near Lockwood and C.R. 419.
The city of Oviedo’s website shows the project is “under review."
News 6 asked Dallari about how local leaders can plan ahead to keep up with demand.
“You are kind of trying to hit a moving target. By the time you widen the road, is it enough to keep up with the growth?” asked Seminole County Community Correspondent Catherine Silver.
“Well, think about it this way, where it’s difficult for us to build a road if there is not a need for it,” Dallari replied. “So, the demand has to come first, and then the actual road projects happen. Takes a while to build a road.”
According to the county, it’s likely construction on the final phase of the C.R. 419 project won’t begin for a while. It could take up to two years for the design, approvals, and bidding process alone.