City's Share of 'Fix 426' will be $392,000
Winter Park will spend the money to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety along the busy stretch of the state road that connects Winter Park to Oviedo
Oct. 14, 2025
By Beth Kassab
Winter Park taxpayers will spend about $392,000 for the city’s share of long-awaited pedestrian and traffic improvements to the 1.7-mile curvy stretch of S.R. 426 from Park Avenue to Lakemont Avenue that winds between Lake Osceola on the north and lakes Virginia, Mizell and Sylvan on the south.
The project started more than three years ago with pleas from residents to “Fix 426,” a main connector from Winter Park to Oviedo. State data shows the busy stretch of S.R. 426 averages six car crashes per month and more than 4,000 speed violations daily.
The City Commission last week unanimously approved spending $391,675 for its share of a larger road resurfacing project led by the Florida Department of Transportation, which is responsible for maintaining the state road.
Winter Park’s share is now far lower than an earlier estimate of nearly $2 million before the project was scaled down considerably and more negotiations took place, said Charles Ramdatt, Winter Park’s public works and transportation director.
“It’s a better deal than we had before,” he told commissioners.
The work will include adding raised crosswalks to slow traffic, upgraded traffic signals, pedestrian hybrid beacons or flashing signals that stop traffic for people to cross on foot and reconstruction of a gravity wall between Fletcher Place and Sylvan Drive.
The wall, which keeps the soil from a raised lot from spilling into the sidewalk and roadway, was the subject of lengthy discussions between the city, state and property owner as no one was clear on who originally constructed the wall.
The wall, which sits on FDOT’s right-of-way, was crumbling and FDOT constructed a temporary replacement. Ultimately, FDOT conceded it may have built the original and agreed to maintain the new wall going forward, Ramdatt said.
“I think this is going to be great,” said Mayor Sheila DeCiccio, though she conceded not everyone will be happy about the “speed bumps” or raised crosswalks. “It’s going to be great for traffic and pedestrians.”
No one from the public spoke on the matter before the vote, though there were multiple community meetings on the project in recent years.
The city made an initial financial commitment of $1.8 million in 2023, but the project has since been scaled back.
Due to maintenance challenges and complications, brick intersections, landscaped medians and bus stop pavement markings are no longer part of the plans.
An FDOT spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for the total cost of the project or when construction is slated to begin and end.
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From a schedule standpoint this could be good news for us who have to deal with this stretch of road frequently. Hopefully, it will reduce the schedule duration now that a lot of the scope has been taken out of the project.