Osceola County, Florida – Osceola County today opened a 1.2-mile stretch of a new and improved Simpson Road, between Myers Road and Boggy Creek Road. The new segment consists of two new additional lanes of traffic, new 10-foot sidewalks on both sides of Simpson Road, a narrower median, a new bridge to the west of Boggy Terrace Drive and two new traffic signals at the intersection of Simpson Road and Ward Road and Stratton Circle.
Osceola County District 2 Commissioner Viviana Janer was joined by a host of dignitaries at ribbon cutting ceremonies lauding the completion of the first phase of the Simpson Road improvement project. Additional improvements to widen Simpson Road south of Myers Road south to U.S. 192 are currently underway, part of a commitment the Board of County Commissioners made to taxpayers in 2019: to reinvest the money from refinancing the bonds used to build Osceola Parkway into the County’s infrastructure.
“The Board of County Commissioners is committed to building and maintaining our infrastructure to make our roadways safer and easier to navigate for our citizens,’’ said Viviana Janer, Osceola County’s District 2 Commissioner. “The first phase of the widening and improvements to Simpson Road is proof of that.”
The $20.9 million project broke ground in January of 2023, and was completed four months ahead of schedule and on budget.
Other projects currently under construction include the widening of Poinciana Boulevard, Boggy Creek Road, Partin Settlement Road, Neptune Road, and the intersection of Fortune Road and Simpson Road. As well, the new Fortune Lakeshore Multi-Use Trail is scheduled to open soon, and the Kissimmee St. Cloud Connector Trail just began construction.
Commissioner Janer extended gratitude to the Florida Department of Transportation and MetroPlan Orlando, which provided nearly $14 million to help fund the first phase of the Simpson Road improvements. The Project was designed by Vanesse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) Engineering, and constructed by Jr. Davis Construction Company with construction, engineering and inspection (CEI) oversight services provided by the Scalar Consulting Group, Inc.
Photo: Commissioner Viviana Janer, center, is joined by Commission Chair Cheryl Grieb and Commissioner Brandon Arrington Wednesday along with officials from Metroplan Orlando (Gary Huttman), the Florida Department of Transportation (Jack Adkins, Director of Transportation Development, District 5), Jr. Davis Construction and county officials, including County Manager Don Fisher for the opening of Simpson Road phase 1.
