KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- In this week's Traffic Inbox, we focus on a confusing intersection in the Kissimmee area that is causing traffic headaches all day long.

  • New traffic light, signage added near Pleasant Hill Road
  • New SunRail station has added to the traffic 
  • Officials are working to adjust the traffic configuration

There are multiple traffic lights at the intersection and they are not quite aligned yet.

The road in that area is essentially the border that separates Pleasant Hill Road from turning into Hoagland Boulevard.  The road also connects with the ends of Old Tampa Highway, Clay Street and has to cross over railroad tracks.  It's getting to be quite the mess.

We spoke with Ellen Noorbakhsh who has lived in the Kissimmee area for the past eight years. She's never seen conditions on Pleasant Hill Road as bad as they are right now.

"This is light traffic," Noorbakhsh said when we spoke with her near the intersection.  "In the mornings, up until 10 o'clock, I was here at 10:15 and there were so many cars here. It was just ridiculous."

Several months ago, although busy, it wasn't such an issue. But now with a SunRail station right down the street, traffic is backed up more than ever.  So much so, that another light and new signage has been added on the other side of the railroad tracks.

"The people are so used to this going through that they don't stop for it" Noorbakhsh said.  "They don't obey the signs.  So they need to do better signage I think here."

We talked with Osceola County officials and they said that because of the increased frequency of the trains, they have had to adjust the arms and add a new signal at Clay Street to prevent people from getting stuck on the tracks.  They admit their configuration isn't perfect yet.  They are working on it and expect it to be completed in the next few weeks.

There is also talk of eventually widening Pleasant Hill Road and Hoagland Boulevard in that area.  Some of Hoagland Boulevard has already been widened a little further north.

As for Noorbakhsh, she's already seen the results of the new traffic light. Minutes before we spoke, there was a wreck on Pleasant Hill Road at that intersection.  It could be some time before everyone familiar with the area adjusts.

"When we saw the lights come up, we thought 'great,'" Noorbakhsh.  "This is going to be so much easier, but it's not."

Thanks for your question, Ellen!  And if you at home have a traffic issue or question that you want looked at or solved, head to mynews13.com/trafficinbox and then just fill out the simple form.