As our community gets bigger, so will our beloved Lake Nona. The Narcoossee Road Widening and Improvements Project is a City of Orlando roadway improvement project that has an anticipated start date of fall 2019. Narcoossee Road will be widening to six lanes between state roads 528 and 417 with an anticipated completion date of fall 2022. Over the next three years, the city of Orlando will construct a 1.6-mile trail alongside the road with added turn lanes and bike lanes; the project also includes upgrades for things like lighting and signalization, as well as upgrades to the City of Orlando water systems between Lake Nona Boulevard and Moss Park Road.

Construction will begin with the trail, which will be eight to 13 feet wide. Some features of the trail will be a bike repair station and benches. The projected completion of the trail itself is 10 months, according to the City of Orlando press release. Shoulder closures will be necessary for the completion of the trail.

After the trail has been completed, work will begin on the new, added lanes and improvements on utilities. A left-turn and right-turn lane will be added at Moss Park Road and Dowden Road, and a new directional median opening will be added at Falcon Parc Boulevard. Following the completion of these, Narcoossee will be milled and replaced with fresh layers of asphalt. A low-profile barrier will be placed in the median, and the installation of the wastewater pipe will commence. Lastly, the final layer of asphalt will be placed on all six lanes. The project also includes decorative landscaping with native shrubs and trees like live oaks, pines and cedars.

Since the work will begin on the roadway shoulders, we can expect little disruption to everyday traffic. The construction crew will work behind the barrier wall during the weekdays while any construction at the major intersections will occur during the night, 10 p.m.-5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday.

We’re looking forward to eventually seeing our new and improved Narcoossee Road!