ORLANDO, Florida -- Melissa Gonzalez has lived in the Orlando area her entire life.

  • Sand Lake Road widening project underway
  • Project expected to be completed by spring 2020
  • Drivers say they avoid the busy area when possible

Long enough to know that driving on Sand Lake Road during peak times is not the best idea.

"Sometimes when I take my GPS home, it will say on John Young 'turn right onto Sand Lake,'" Gonzalez says. "And I'm like, 'no, no, no, no, absolutely not.' So I'll just stay on John Young and avoid this area as much as I can."

This area is busy all the time, but during peak times like weeknight rush hours and on weekends it can become a disaster with drivers acting out in desperation.

"My consistent thoughts are anything to do with 'Oh my God! I can't get to where I need to go because everybody is blocking the intersection," Gonzalez says. "It's going take me at least thirty minutes to get home and I'm like five miles that way."

Gonzalez thinks the Interstate 4 interchange with Sand Lake Road may be part of the problem.

"You can't really change the restaurants on Restaurant Row but you can change the I-4 entrance," she says.

Florida Department of Transportation has a different idea—widen Sand Lake Road.  And, it's already begun.

The Sand Lake Road widening project has been divided into three different segments east of I-4 even though it's essentially the same project.  It begins near International Drive and will extend all the way past the Florida's Turnpike overpass.  In fact, it will avoid John Young Parkway altogether because there will be a new flyover bridge there.

The goal is to eliminate the amount of conflict points like essentially eliminating some median areas and making more room for movement for vehicles with more lanes as you can see in some of these before and after construction pictures.

In addition, FDOT wants to make the area safer for pedestrians and is installing new concrete sidewalks.

The cost of the project is just under $77 million and all the road work is expected to be done by spring of 2020.  This project includes milling and resurfacing, signing, pavement markings, traffic signals, concrete sidewalks for pedestrians, median access modifications, the installation of sheet pile retaining walls, storm drainage system, a water main, as well as a utility lift station.

As for Gonzalez, until that day comes, she will continue to avoid Sand Lake Road.

"Especially during the summers, during the holidays and if there are any other sort of holidays where people are off," she adds.