ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Ongoing roadwork near East River High School is raising safety concerns among students and parents, who say the construction is making walking and riding to school dangerous.
Crews are working on enhancements at Colonial Drive and Chuluota Road with curb ramps and enhanced lighting.
The construction project, managed by the Florida Department of Transportation, is intended to improve pedestrian safety with new crosswalks, pedestrian signals, curb ramps and enhanced lighting. However, the current conditions have led to incidents, including a student falling off his bike.
“It gets pretty chaotic when it gets built up,” said one student, describing the traffic and construction debris they navigate daily.
Josh McConkey, a concerned parent, said, “There’s actually tracks where kids almost lost control. You can see it in the traps next to the sidewalk where they fell off the sidewalk into the sand on their bikes.”
Parents and students have expressed frustration over the timing of the construction, suggesting it should have been completed during the summer months when school was not in session.
FDOT has cleaned up some of the construction areas, but parents like McConkey are calling for additional safety measures, such as crossing guards, given the high speeds on State Road 50.
The construction is also affecting nearby Corner Lake Middle School, where similar safety improvements are underway, including the installation of new traffic signals and a crosswalk.
FDOT has stated that the construction is set to be completed in the fall.
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