Orange County meeting Thursday on McCulloch Road expansion 

Border road’s expansion with Seminole County a touchy subject as McCulloch Road funnels traffic out of Oviedo’s southern residential areas. But paying for it is another question.  

Orange County’s Local Planning Agency is holding a meeting this week to get feedback on a possible expansion to McCulloch Road, which lines part of the county’s border with Seminole County near Oviedo. 

Because of its proximity, Seminole County Commissioners have discussed helping pay for the expansion in the area between unincorporated Oviedo and the University of Central Florida. 

Previously, Seminole County commissioners have voiced concern that expanding McCulloch Road could eventually lead to further road expansions in the eastern part of the county, closer to the Econlockhatchee River, also known as the Econ river. 

The Econ River Wilderness Area lies just east of the proposed expansion. – Photo by Isaac Benjamin Babcock

“What I’m concerned about is as we get closer to the river, I’m afraid that the state or someone could preempt us to go over the river, and I’m opposed to that,” Seminole County Commissioner Bob Dallari said back in April.

Orange County’s Local Planning Agency Public Hearing about the road expansion is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, May 21. It will be held at the Orange County Commission Chambers at 201 S. Rosalind Ave. in downtown Orlando.

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Want to contact your elected leaders and weigh in on this topic? Find Orange County Commission contacts here, city of Oviedo contacts here, and Seminole County Commission contacts here. Have a news tip or opinion to share with OCN? Do that here.

Check here to read about Thursday’s meeting. This is not the final stop for the project, but gives an opportunity for public input. The Orange County Commission is expected to vote on the project at a meeting June 2 at 2 p.m.

Abe Aboraya is a Report for America corps member

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Author

Abe is the Local Government Accountability Reporter for Oviedo Community News and is a Report for America corps member. His work has appeared on NPR, ProPublica, Kaiser Health News and StoryCorps. He spent 2018 investigating post-traumatic stress disorder in first responders, and investigated why paramedics didn’t enter Pulse nightclub to bring out victims. In 2018, the Florida Associated Press Professional Broadcasters Contest awarded that series second place in the investigative category and first place in the public affairs category. Aboraya holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Central Florida. His first journalism job in 2007 was covering the city of Winter Springs in Seminole County. A father of two, Aboraya spends his free time reading and writing fiction and enjoying his second home in the Hyrule kingdom.

Reach Abe by email at abeaboraya@oviedocommunitynews.org