In this week’s Traffic Inbox, we made our way over to a rapidly expanding area of Lake County where the infrastructure might not be ready for rapid growth.

  • A resident says Clermont's Hartwood Marsh Road is not wide enough
  • Lake county officials say they don't have the money for widening project

Rudy from Clermont wrote in saying ...

"I'd really like you to take a look at Hartwood Marsh Road. The road isn't wide enough and usually during the morning and afternoon hours and sometimes on weekends, the traffic is a disaster! Is any help coming?"

So, we went out to take a look at Hartwood Marsh Road which runs through both Orange and Lake counties. It is the Lake County side however that we were asked to take a look at.

Our first impressions were that it was indeed a very narrow road for the amount of traffic, but the overall congestion during the late morning hours was not all that bad.

However, there were signs everywhere that residents are fed up with the amount of congestion during peak times.

Take for example the Hartwood Pines community near Hancock Road. One resident directed us to one of the entrance gates that led to Hartwood Marsh Road. It has been completely closed off.

According to the resident, traffic gets so bad on Hartwood Marsh Road that cars would use the community as a cut through just to avoid the road.

We also noticed that this road would not be able to handle the amount of congestion that is in store for the area.

We counted at least four new home communities that are under construction just along Hartwood Marsh Road itself within a span of about a mile.

So what is next for the stretch of Hartwood Marsh Road? Well, as of right now, officials have only made minor changes including putting signage and a crosswalk in front of the South Lake Imagine School here.

A traffic signal was also installed at the intersection of Hancock Road, but officials also have bigger things in mind for the area.

Lake County officials told us that this road has been on their radar back as far as 2004, with a widening project that was approved in 2010. However, we were also told that funding has not been appropriated yet for right of way acquisition or the construction itself.

Thanks for your question Rudy!

Thanks for your question Christopher! If you have a traffic issue or question at home that you want looked at, go to http://www.mynews13.com/trafficinbox and just fill out the simple form.