- April 26, 2024
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Residents question why Tymber Creek widening doesn’t go farther north.
Two construction projects have been testing the patience of Ormond Beach area drivers, but the end of the bumpy road is in sight for both.
Granada Boulevard should be smooth by the end of June to mid-July, depending on weather, and Tymber Creek, scene of traffic backups since January, 2013, should be done by late August.
“It’s been a nightmare for a lot of people,” said area resident Cristina Syfert about the Tymber Creek project. “There have been a lot of accidents. It’ll be great when it’s done.”
The $6.1 million Tymber Creek Road widening project goes from Granada Boulevard north to Peruvian Lane.
“It’s crazy not to go to Airport Road,” said area resident Gerry Corrigan. “There’s no common sense to it. There’s a school in both directions on Airport Road.”
He also said “18-wheelers” travel to Airport Business Park.
Syfert agreed.
“It’s ridiculous,” she said. “I don’t know what they are fixing.”
Gerald Brinton, county engineer, said the original plan called for the road to be widened to four lanes all the way to Airport Road.
“We did the planning and permitting to go to Airport Road, but we don’t have the funding,” he said. “That’s true of roads all over Volusia County — we don’t have the funding.”
He said there is only money available for maintenance, and not widening roads to four lanes.
However, Brinton said, most of the congestion is south of Peruvian Lane, because that is where traffic from the neighborhoods spills out into Tymber Creek Road, heading south to Granada Boulevard.
Adding to the cost of widening the road north of Peruvian Lane, Brinton said, is that the county would need to purchase land from private parties.
South of Peruvian Lane, the county was able to use a right-of-way that it owns. Some people think that large sections were taken from the home owners, because the sidewalk is very close to some of the houses.
Brinton said the problem is that the developer of the properties placed the lots next to the county right-of-way with no buffer.
“I hate to see it,” Brinton said.
In places, a metal railing has been installed to separate the sidewalk from the backyards.
The limited amount of space to put in a new road and storm water pipes was a challenge for the road builders.
“The maintenance of traffic flow was very, very difficult,” Brinton said. “The neighborhood will be very happy when we are finished.”
He said it was difficult to fit the road and sidewalk into the space available. The sidewalks are next to the curb in many places, rather than having a grassy space to separate sidewalk and street.
Granada Boulevard repaving was delayed.
Meanwhile, Granada Boulevard has been a challenge for motorists who have been bumping over the uneven pavement and manhole covers.
While the entire project will last until November, Jessica Keane, spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation, said the lanes will be repaved, and smooth, by the end of June, if there are no weather delays. It could be mid-July before the repaving is complete.
The project includes adding mast arm traffic lights at some of the intersections, and some work had to be done before repaving could be finished. Also, she said, the weather delayed the repaving.
She said work will continue on the mast arm traffic lights and sidewalks until November. It may be done earlier, she said, because the project is ahead of schedule.
Ormond Beach city officials have said citizens have contacted them to complain about the roads, but Granada Boulevard is an FDOT project and Tymber Creek is County and the city has no control over either project.
