- April 29, 2024
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As more growth and development occurs in Volusia County, and consequently increasing traffic volumes on local roadways, one street in Ormond Beach has been placed on the county's priority list of projects included in its five-year road program.
The county is proposing to widen Hand Avenue from Clyde Morris Boulevard to Nova Road at an estimated cost of $6.2 million, according to the presentation made at the County Council meeting on Thursday, Jan. 6. While a portion of that length of roadway is already contains five lanes (including both westbound and eastbound), County Engineer Tadd Kasbeer said staff is looking at widening the western portion to four lanes, as the road has been identified to be at 90% or more of its capacity.
“Even though it shows up as red, that entire limit, traffic actually moves along pretty well in that section," said Kasbeer, referencing the map in the presentation. "It’s that western portion that’s only two lanes.”
Though initially listed fourth among the 10 priority projects, the widening of Hand Avenue was pushed down to rank fifth in lieu of expediting an extension of Dunn Avenue from Tomoka Farms Road to LPGA Boulevard.
One project not included in the priority list is the extension of Tymber Creek Road.
Kasbeer explained to the council that this extension, among other future projects in the county such as a four-lane widening of LPGA Boulevard from U.S. 17-92 to the I-95 interchange, are indeed considered critical projects, but have other circumstances that influence the county to place them on hold for now.
In the case of Tymber Creek, that is Avalon Park Daytona, since the developer will need to fund design and construction for some, or all, of the extended roadway.
“They’re going to be required to build at least a portion of that," Kasbeer said. "Obviously, the devil will be in the details when we get into negotiating with them with their proportionate fair share."
Volusia County Councilwoman Heather Post made a motion to move an extension of Dunn Avenue higher up on the priority list.
Why? Because of the increased development n the LPGA corridor, which was the reason the road project ended up on the list in the first place. It was originally ranked fifth below the widening of Hand Avenue, and now ranks third after a unanimous council vote. Two studies — one on the intersection of Pioneer Trail and Williams Boulevard and a feasibility study to widen Orange Camp Road from U.S. 17-92 to Martin Luther King Jr. Beltway — are at the top of the list because they are considered to be "small ticket" items, at $100,000 and $500,000 respectively.
“They’re all important, for sure, but there are other access points and other ways for people to get around in some of these others that are on the list," Post said. "But for LPGA Boulevard, there’s literally no way for anyone to evacuate that area in any way shape or form other than going down LPGA Boulevard, and if LPGA Boulevard is at a standstill, there’s nowhere for them to go.”
Though LPGA Boulevard is not yet at critical levels of capacity, Kasbeer said that if the development in the corridor continues at its current pace, it won't be long before it is deemed as such.
“Dunn Avenue is an excellent opportunity to create that path," he said. "It gives drivers a second way to get into Daytona overall and keep traffic reasonable in that area.”
