John Young at Sand Lake Road in Orlando

[roadman65]

I have a friend who works in the Orange County Traffic Engineering Department who has informed me that Orange County wants to make an interchange eventually at the John Young Parkway and Sand Lake Road intersection.  They want to copy the John Young and Osceola Parkway interchange 8 miles south of there in Kissimmee with a SPUI and John Young being the main body.  

I was wondering, how many of you who frequent Orlando, or are familiar with this intersection, believe that this is the type of interchange is the right one for this location.  I know that there are some who think that the SR 50 and SR 436 interchange should have given SR 436 the free flowing side and some even think that the Osceola Parkway should be the main body at the above stated interchange.  If and when this becomes reality, what kind of interchange should this one be?

I think that John Young here should free flow and is badly needed to be constructed.

[FLRoads]

From the plans I have seen at the John Young Parkway website, they do indeed plan on making John Young Parkway the free-flowing movement through the proposed SPUI. I remember seeing these plans years ago and have been wondering if and when they would ever construct this interchange.

When I lived in Orlando, I frequently went through this intersection many times and given the volume of traffic, interchange improvements would greatly help out the intersection. Given the close location of the Turnpike to this intersection, the SPUI is probably the best alternative, though it would be possible to have a few loop ramps (or flyover ramps) in three of the four quadrants (NW, NE and SW).

The John Young Parkway link is broken so I have removed it.

[realjd]

That intersection is busy. While JYP and Sand Lake are both busy, it makes sense in my opinion to make JYP the free movement. It's already a limited access expressway. The more freeway-like they make it the better IMO.

As for the JYP/Osceola Pkwy interchange, the Osceola Parkway through there is heavily commercial because of the nearby mall. For one it doesn't have the space for a full interchange IMO due to driveways. That alone almost precludes turning it into a limited access highway unless they want to build in frontage roads.

[NE2]

JYP/Osceola and JYP/Sand Lake both had land set aside for interchanges when they built the roads. At Osceola, JYP jogged over to the east and back before the overpass was built.

[roadman65]

It really does not matter which road does get the free flowing movement in my opinion.  I think do to the Turnpike nearby, it is better to raise up John Young as it would grade better on the north side.

As far as Osceola Parkway goes, that is why when Best Buy was built they left out driveways to John Young.  I used to go through there all the time to get to work in Kissimmee.  I can tell you a lot of traffic flows on John Young and on Osceola, but slightly more on the former.  You originally had to wait  two light changes to go west cause around 3:30 or so it was non stop traffic going from Orlando to Kissimmee.  So I agree with you here on this one.

At the big intersection east of town, it really does not matter there cause 50 and 436 are both the same.  I am glad they improved that junction in the most thankful way. It needed it 15 years ago and is definetley long overdue.

I saw that further north on 436, the FDOT plans to make an interchange at 17/92.  According to FDOT's website, they have not given the project out for bidding yet.  They also do not mention what road is going to be the free flowing one, but I have a feeling that the US Routes will.