SR 46 Shift/Realignment at Sanford Airport

[Brian556]

This is so strange. GSV shows the new alignment is now open. But, is it temporary or permanent? Seems very odd that they would do this just to widen a road where there is no bridge.

GSV: https://www.google.com/maps/@28.7865934,-81.2555298,3a,75y,89.67h,97.47t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKhcZUBsCy4Ufj_g1EujpdA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Map: https://www.google.com/maps/@28.7866536,-81.25038,794m/data=!3m1!1e3

[DeaconG]

Um, to extend SR 46 to four lanes eastward from where the current four lane section ends?

[roadman65]

Not really, go down to Orlando where McCoy Road fronts FL 528.  They realigned McCoy during the removal of the former Airport Toll Plaza.  The road was built  two years before the plaza removal, and remained dualized for that time.   Then when construction workers dismantled the plaza, they decided to shift the traffic to the empty parallel pavement so crews had elbow room to work (as the frontage road was far enough away from the plaza that no traffic on McCoy would even be affected).

Once the Airport Plaza became history, the traffic moved back onto the original two lane facility and the other road got chopped up leaving the grade for it, most likely for future widening there.   However, McCoy Road does have high enough traffic using it to warrant full widening.  Also just to the east of it, where McCoy Road transitions into Frontage Road (yes that is the actual name of the road) it becomes four lanes as part of Airport Lakes Development.  You think they would connect at least the two segments and save money later for an actual full widening to Conway Road.

[NE2]

McCoy was never four lanes north of the toll plaza. It was always either two on the straight alignment or two on the curvy bypass (which was a very brief period).

Source: yearly aerials http://maps.ocpafl.org/webmapjs/

[roadman65]

No I meant to say dualized as one side was kept unused.  My bad there, but nonetheless it could have been kept alive instead of what is now.   McCoy is a major shunpike route and does have the traffic to warrant it.   

Even if they closed that temp use road, it should be kept there as paved for future use as many of us know Orlando traffic continues to grow with all this sprawl.