ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Every day, thousands of drivers face the frustration of traffic backups on Narcoossee Road. But Orlando City Commissioner Jim Gray has a proposal he believes could ease congestion.
“It’s really bad,” said driver Hadia Ramsey, who lives nearby and says it takes her 40 minutes to get to work because of traffic.
Driver Justin Connor avoids the road altogether when he can. “It’s not ideal,” he said. “It’s unnecessary stress.”
Currently, Narcoossee Road is managed under a decades-old interlocal agreement among the City of Orlando, Orange County and the Central Florida Expressway Authority. The agreement dates back to the 1990s, when Lake Nona was annexed into the city.
Gray has proposed the City of Orlando assume full control of Narcoossee Road within city boundaries. In a letter to residents, he said a single authority could optimize traffic signal timing, add turn lanes where needed, and better align with school traffic patterns.
The proposal is still in the discussion phase, and no public hearing has been scheduled.
Hany Elbanna, a traffic engineer with HSE Contractors who is not involved in the project, said consolidating control would be challenging.
“It’s very difficult to do so,” he said. “It’s not something they typically do; every entity gets different funding sources.” Still, he believes the idea has merit. “The goal of doing this is to have one project manager, one person in charge taking the leadership.”
If the proposal isn’t approved, the Central Florida Expressway Authority is moving forward with its own project on State Road 534—from State Road 417 near Boggy Creek Road in Orange County to Nova Road in Osceola County—to help ease traffic on Narcoossee. However, construction on that project is still a few years away.
“Almost anything they can do to improve it would make a big difference,” Connor said.
Ramsey agrees. “It’s unbearable,” she said. “Makes you not want to live here.”
The full letter from Commissioner Jim Gray:
Dear District 1 Neighbors,
If you drive Narcoossee Road, you’ve likely experienced firsthand how busy it’s become. As one of the most traveled north-south corridors in Central Florida, Narcoossee now serves tens of thousands of drivers daily from both Orange and Osceola counties.
When Lake Nona was annexed into the City in the 1990’s, an interlocal agreement assigned responsibility for Narcoossee Road among multiple jurisdictions:
. City of Orlando: Narcoossee Rd north of SR 417
. Orange County: South of SR 417 to Boggy Creek Road
. Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX): SR 417 interchange
While the road was originally designed to support Lake Nona’s development, the explosive growth south of SR 417 in Osceola County has significantly increased traffic.
To improve coordination and efficiency, the City of Orlando is currently in discussions to assume full control of Narcoossee Road within our boundaries. One central authority would help optimize signal timing, add turn lanes where needed, and better align with school traffic patterns.
In addition, the SR 534 “Narcoossee Reliever” project is scheduled to begin next year. This new
roadway will provide a bypass for vehicles traveling between Orange and Osceola counties, helping relieve congestion along Narcoossee.
Growth across Central Florida brings both opportunities and challenges. Our goal remains clear - to strengthen partnerships, plan for smart infrastructure investments and keep our community connected, safe and moving forward.
Thank you for your patience and continued engagement as we work together toward lasting improvements.
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