Lake Highland Drive/Alden Road Realignment and Utility Project

Last updated on August 10, 2020

Phase 1 of the Lake Highland Drive/Alden Road Realignment

The City of Orlando Public Works Department is pursuing a utility project in conjunction with OUC water, to replace aging potable and raw water lines with new, upsized piping, construct a new sanitary force main and replace or rehabilitate gravity sewer mains and lateral service lines between Orange Avenue and Bumby Avenue.  

The utility project route will pass through the Lake Highland area, running under Lake Highland Drive from Thornton Avenue to Highland Avenue and under a future section of Alden Road from Highland Avenue to Magnolia Avenue. This portion of the utility project overlaps with the Transportation Department’s planned design and realignment of Lake Highland Drive and extension of Alden Road.

The restoration of the street following the utility project presents an opportunity to build off the concepts developed as part of the Virginia & Lake Highland Transportation and Land Use Study, to improve the streetscape appearance of Lake Highland Drive between the SunRail corridor and Mills Avenue and add traffic calming measures to discourage cut through traffic.

The utility project also creates an opportunity to implement the next phase in a decades-old plan to improve the Alden Road corridor as a parallel path to Orange Avenue. The extension of Alden Road is a desirable and needed street network modification that will provide better connectivity between downtown Orlando and the growing AdventHealth campus.

The utility project is needed to replace and upgrade aging potable water lines and raw water lines, construct a new sanitary force main and replace or rehabilitate gravity sewer mains.

The transportation project will increase connectivity and travel options in the area; the extension of Alden Road will provide a parallel travel corridor to Orange Avenue. The project will also provide traffic calming features on Lake Highland Drive. 

The utility project will result in a significant impact to the corridor roadways. Affected roads will be closed and will have restricted access for local traffic. Detours will be posted to route traffic to adjacent, open corridors.

While every effort will be made to minimize impacts to the adjoining businesses and residences, there will be periods of time where driveway access will be cut off due to the utility excavation taking place. The contractor will be required to backfill the excavation at the end of each day, restoring limited local access within the work zone. The timing and extent of access interruption will be coordinated with, and communicated to, the affected business owners and residents.

Photo Gallery

Project map

(PNG, 2MB)

Project Snapshot

  • Type: Public Works and Transportation
  • District(s): 3 - Robert F. Stuart

Timeline

Utility Project Design Completed

Fall 2020

Utility Project Construction Bid Advertised

Fall 2020

Transportation Project Design Completed

Spring 2021

Transportation Project Construction Bid Advertised

Spring 2021

Estimated Utility Project Completion (for Lake Highland area)

Winter 2021

Estimated Transportation Project Completion

Spring 2023

Transportation Project Manager

Mike Melzer, P.E.
michael.melzer@orlando.gov

Transportation Project Coordinator

Michelle Beamon Robinson, AICP
michelle.robinson@orlando.gov

Utility Project Manager

Alan Oyler, P.E.
alan.oyler@orlando.gov

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