Construction begins to reopen washed out road in Lake County
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. —
Construction to repair Britt Road in the Mount Dora area began Tuesday nearly two years after Hurricane Milton washed out more than 100 feet of the road, creating detours and challenges for residents and businesses.
Britt Road, which connects State Road 44 and Wolf Branch Road, has been closed since the hurricane, forcing drivers to take longer routes.
Betty Owens, who has lived near Britt Road for 28 years, said the detour has added 10 to 15 minutes to her drives.
“The traffic is murder,” Owens said. “It’s just hard on us to go that much farther. Cause we’re both old. We don’t drive much but when we do we have to go to the doctor and the grocery. It just makes it harder on us.”
The closure has also impacted businesses like Britt Road Animal Hospital, which opened about a year ago while the road was still closed.
Savannah Reed, the clinic’s main receptionist, said she often receives calls from clients struggling to find the clinic.
“When they come from the Wolf Branch side they tend to give us a call and they’re like, ‘Oh no, we can’t get to your clinic,'” Reed said.
Veterinary nurse Miriam Soto said the road closure is a frequent topic among pet owners visiting the clinic.
“At least once a day,” Soto said.
She added that the closure has even led some clients to cancel, including one Tuesday.
“We had somebody who we were working in on an emergency basis. They were on their way, they saw Britt Road was closed, and they turned around and just took their pet home,” Soto said.
Lake County announced Tuesday that construction to reopen the road has officially started. Leslie Campione, chairman of the Lake County Board of County Commissioners, said in a statement that negotiations to acquire nearby land for the repairs took about a year, followed by seven months to secure permits and meet grant funding requirements.
Construction is expected to be completed by October, two years after Hurricane Milton caused the damage.
“It’s gonna help a lot. We’re gonna have a lot more access to the clinic,” Soto said.
“I think it’s great. I just hope they hurry up and get it done,” Owens said.