ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County resident is asking why the Florida Department of Transportation installed a raised median on Goldenrod Road, preventing drivers from making a left turn into a neighborhood.
The neighborhood is located just southeast of the Goldenrod Road and Colonial Drive intersection.
What You Need To Know
Nikki Mundo says driving on Marietta Avenue, she can no longer turn left onto southbound Goldenrod Road
FDOT built a raised barrier curb to prevent crashes from occurring at Marietta Avenue and Goldenrod Road
Because the intersection is close to Goldenrod Road and Colonial Drive, Mundo said it can be difficult to make U-turns to access southbound Goldenrod
FDOT recommends drivers make a U-turn on Colonial Drive
Going anywhere south of her neighborhood off Marietta Avenue, Nikki Mundo can no longer turn left onto southbound Goldenrod Road.
“There used to be a turning lane here where you can go out this way and get onto Goldenrod, but they took that out,” said Mundo. “So now, instead of being able to cut over that way to get onto Goldenrod, you can no longer do that.”
Instead of turning left from Marietta Avenue, Mundo and her neighbors have to turn right onto northbound Goldenrod Road and make a U-turn at Colonial Drive.
Mundo says that’s difficult to do during the busy morning and afternoon rush hours.
“You had to make a U-turn at that light and then you have to obviously wait for the people there if they’re turning,” Mundo said. “You have to just be careful not to hit them and then make that U-turn.”
The other option, using eastbound Colonial Drive, also requires a U-turn at a busy spot in order to access southbound Goldenrod Road.
“It’s been so frustrating that I don’t ever go this way,” said Mundo. “I just go all the way around.”
FDOT spokesperson Tim Freed said the median is part of a project to enhance safety along Goldenrod Road.
Freed said the raised barrier curb was installed in October 2024 to reduce the potential for serious crashes in the area.
“Statewide data consistently shows that left turns account for a significant share of fatal and serious-injury crashes, particularly at intersections where lower-speed side streets meet high-speed, high-volume roadways or where sight distance is limited,” Freed said.
FDOT officials believe the raised barrier curb is a way to eliminate a conflict point where vehicles can cross paths.
From January 2021 until October 2024, FDOT found there were eight left-turn crashes at the intersection. Since the raised median was installed, there have been no left-turn crashes.
“I would like to see them just put the turning lane back here so that we can get out of our neighborhood safely,” said Mundo, who feels the addition of the raised median causes its own safety concerns.
Freed recommends Colonial Drive as an alternate route from the neighborhood.
“It’s a blessing to live in this neighborhood,” said Mundo, who lives with her daughter Lily. “I want to be able to raise her here, but I’d rather it be easier to get in and out.”
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