ORLANDO, Fla. – When will Lake Underhill Road get widened?
That was one of the top questions neighbors in east Orange County wanted answered as WKMG Hits the Road in the 32825 ZIP code.
“It carries way too much traffic for a two-lane road,” Becky Meyer said. “It definitely needs to be widened.”
Built in 1984, Lake Underhill Road is now considered failing and over-capacity by Orange County. Some sections have four lanes while others have just two, including the 4-mile stretch from Chickasaw Trail to Rouse Road, which is in the 32825 zip code.
“It can be really busy,” Gina Keymont added. “It can be backlogged a lot.”
So why is Lake Underhill Road always so busy? Well, for one, there are more than 61,000 people who live in the 32825 zip code, but neighbors say its proximity to the 408 is another big factor.
“The 408 is parallel to us, and people don’t want to pay, so they’ll use Lake Underhill Road as an alternate,” Vic Lovell said. “It’s not designed to handle 24,000 cars per day.”
Neighbors also worry about the congestion slowing down first responders since there’s a sheriff’s office substation, a fire station and a hospital all along Lake Underhill Road.
“You can’t get emergency vehicles down Lake Underhill during rush hour,” Meyer said.
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As News 6 was interviewing Lovell outside of his Fieldstream North neighborhood, a sheriff’s office cruiser whizzed by drivers on the two-lane road.
“Imagine if there was an accident here,” Lovell said. “How difficult that would be for that officer to get through here.”
Not only do folks think the road is overtaxed, but they say it’s also in bad shape in some spots. News 6 spotted a number of potholes that were recently patched up along the stretch between Dean Road and Rouse Road.
“I have a 2023 vehicle with less than 5,000 miles on it, and I needed a new shock absorber,” Lovell said. “They’ve already replaced the front shock absorber, and I know the pothole that did it.”
News 6 noticed there are very few traffic lights in front of the neighborhoods – especially where Lake Underhill Road is two lanes.
The Fieldstream North Homeowners Association even posted a warning sign in front of the neighborhood that says, “Warning! You are entering a dangerous intersection. Exiting to the right is highly recommended.”
“My board of directors decided to warn folks not to take the left,” Lovell said. “Just avoid it completely and always make the right turn.”
Expanding Lake Underhill Road has been on the county’s radar for at least 14 years.
We found the first widening project study was approved by Orange County commissioners in August 2010.
Orange County then sent a newsletter to neighbors in August 2014 that said the design phase of the Lake Underhill widening project was underway and they were preparing construction plans.
After all this time, why has nothing changed? The short answer is a lack of funding.
“I’ve been waiting 10 years like everybody else,” Lovell said. “How long should homeowners have to wait? They pay thousands of dollars each year in their real estate taxes – a portion of which should go to roads – but it’s the kind of taxes that can go outside of our area, and they always do.”
Orange County officials told News 6 that the project is still in the design phase. About 60% of the plan is complete as crews work to acquire the right-of-way needed for the expansion, according to the engineering division.
If plans continue to progress without any roadblocks, a county spokesperson said construction on the Lake Underhill Road widening project from Econ Trail to Rouse Road could finally begin in mid-2027.
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