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By Mark Baratelli
A first-of-its-kind intersection is slated for construction at Rinehart Road and H.E. Thomas Jr. Parkway (County Road (C.R.) 46A). New to Central Florida, the intersection will help make traffic flow more smoothly and safely in the area near Interstate 4 in Seminole County. The new intersection will be located partially in the City of Lake Mary and the City of Sanford
Known as a mid-block U-turn, the innovative form of traffic management will be a first for the region. After it is built, motorists at the busy intersection will no longer need to make left turns across oncoming traffic. It also will eliminate the left-hand turning arrow on a traffic signal. Instead, motorists will use signalized U-turns on Rinehart Road to head in their desired direction.
Although the intersection is not part of the I-4 interchange, it is nearby and considered vital to the overall traffic flow of the I-4 interchange. Because of that, it is included in the state’s Beyond the Ultimate reconstruction project.
Seminole County and the City of Lake Mary consider the change so essential that both governments are advancing the funds needed for this part of the I-4 BtU project to start construction in 2018. The state will then reimburse the local governments in 2026. Improvements to this intersection are essential to proper operation of the interchange with I-4.
FDOT and the local governments also looked at the possibility of creating a single-point urban interchange there. That form was chosen for the reconfiguration of the Colonial Drive (State Road 50) and I-4 interchange in downtown Orlando.
But traffic-flow experts and local officials decided that the mid-block U-turn would work best to reduce the time required to go through the intersection, improve pedestrian safety, and limit the impact of construction as well as the effect on the visibility of property around the intersection.
Learn more about the mid-block U-turn at a public meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 8, at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary, located at 1501 International Parkway in Lake Mary. The meeting is an open-house format so participants can visit any time between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.