ORLANDO, Fla. – Several viewers are raising concerns about safety in Pine Hills, with several road projects underway.
Jody Mahonik lives just around the corner from West Pine Hills Road, where Orange County’s septic-to-sewer project has been going on for months now.
She says all the machines and barriers left out during the day make it hard to navigate.
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“Everything has been chaotic, and when I’m waiting to make a turn, I have this large equipment blocking my view, making me unsure about safety,” stated Mahonik.
Paul Lindsey, who operates the Future Stars daycare near Dolores Avenue on Pine Hills, fears that the confusion in navigating the road could lead to accidents close to the school.
“It’s somewhat difficult to see what’s happening, so when I make a U-turn, they’re creating conditions that are neither practical nor feasible,” remarked Lindsey.
He’s even considering putting a barrier in front of the building.
“Yes, a barrier right here, that way if an accident goes near the building, it will stop a car going through the daycare where there are kids playing and sleeping.”
Orange County Commissioner Mike Scott explains “To my knowledge, I don’t know if there’s any accidents contributed to the construction or any influx in there. A lot of work occurs at night,”
According to Scott, the project installing 8,000 feet of pipe and 22 manholes along the roadway is 77% complete.
The Pine Hills Road Septic-to-Sewer project will connect up to 93 parcels to a municipal gravity sewer system on Pine Hills Road from Alhambra Drive to Golf Club Parkway.
Even though the project is expected to be completed by late fall, they have run into delays, including rescheduling their Pine Hills Road Pedestrian Safety Improvement project.
“We had to put that project on pause because it doesn’t make sense to complete the project and do the mailing and all that stuff just to dig it back up again. So that’s why it’s been taking so long.”
Scott says traffic issues, getting building materials and federal funding for the Septic-to-Sewer project secured by Congressman Maxwell Frost are also some of the factors that caused the delay.
Scott says the Pine Hills Road Pedestrian Safety Improvement project will add pedestrian barriers and more safety crossings to make the area along Pine Hills Road more walkable.
Scott says he, along with Orange County officials, plans to give an update on the projects during the Pine Hills Community Council meeting next Tuesday.
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