ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Construction is underway on a new connection between Lake and Orange counties.
Orange County is building the New Independence Parkway extension.
What You Need To Know
Construction is underway on a New Independence Parkway extension in west Orange County
When completed, it will connect State Road 429 and Horizon West to Wellness Way Boulevard and U.S. 27 south of Clermont
The extension will take 7,000-9,000 vehicles off the other east-west routes, including Schofield Road and Marsh Road, officials say
The four-lane divided roadway is expected to be completed in 2027
“With the New Independence Parkway extension coming, it’s going to make the commute time from Clermont to Winter Garden, and for us living here, Winter Garden to Clermont, it’s just going to cut it in half,” real estate agent Suzanne Dickson said.
The extension of New Independence Parkway will connect State Road 429 and Horizon West to Wellness Way Boulevard and U.S. 27 south of Clermont.
The connection is meant to ease backups to local roads that have been burdened by building traffic from Lake County into Orange County.
According to information from the Orange County Transportation Planning Division, the new extension will take 7,000-9,000 vehicles off the other east-west routes, including Schofield Road and Marsh Road, every day.
Dickson, who lives near the construction in Hamlin, said the new connection will aid in her career helping clients buy and sell homes.
“It’ll make my job so much easier,” she said. “I go to Clermont maybe three or four days a week, so I will save so much time and be able to serve clients in Lake County a lot easier.”
New Independence Parkway extension is expected to carry 35,500 vehicles a day by 2047, according to Orange County Assistant Project Manager Hatem Abou-Senna. But the western leg of the extension will see 43,000 vehicles per day because of the onslaught of traffic coming from Lake County into Orange County.
The four-lane divided roadway is expected to be completed in 2027.