Drivers in Osceola County are already noticing a difference on Simpson Road.
The final phase of the Simpson Road North Widening and Improvement Project was completed 243 days ahead of schedule, turning a congested two-lane stretch into a continuous four-lane corridor.
The $73.2 million project reconstructed more than 2.5 miles of Simpson Road from Marisol Loop/Winners Circle to Myers Road, completing the final and longest segment of the widening between U.S. 192 and Boggy Creek Road.
In addition to the lanes, the project included new traffic signals at Hillard Isle Road/Plaza Drive and Marisol Loop/Winners Circle, a shared-use path, drainage and stormwater improvements, Intelligent Transportation System components, and utility upgrades.
The redesigned roadway features a 26-foot median and a 10-foot shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians on each side, improving connectivity and access well beyond just drivers.
For Roberto Paez, who travels Simpson Road daily for deliveries, the difference is already noticeable.
“At certain times of the day, there used to be heavy traffic congestion. Now, things feel a bit more fluid,” Paez said.
Freddy Velez, another daily driver, said the improvements speak for themselves.
“[I drive on it] every day, every day, every day. The lanes are larger, more comfortable, less traffic,” Velez said.
The expansion is considered critical infrastructure for a county projected to see a 50% population increase by 2040. Officials say widening the road — which had been operating over capacity and causing significant delays at signalized intersections — will help accommodate that growth while reducing travel times for current residents.
Osceola County Commissioner Viviana Janer, the county’s Department of Transportation & Transit, and project partners Jr. Davis Construction Company, CONSOR, Carter Electric, and Mac Shea are expected at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at Boggy Creek Marketplace, 2625 Simpson Road, Kissimmee. Arrival begins at 9:45 a.m., with the program starting at 10 a.m.