Delays add to the cost of Alafaya Trail widening project

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Alafaya Trail widening project will take longer than expected.

A last-minute traffic light, requested by the fire department, and delays moving power lines put crews eight months behind scheduled on the four-mile construction project.

Drivers have shared the road with construction workers since 2011. Work was supposed to be done in 2013, but delays have pushed the project to 2014.

"It's unfortunate, because the way the economy is people have to get to work and the rate they are going, they are going to be late the next two years," said driver Paul Leckinger.

Complications with fixing the water main below ground and heavy rainfall added an extra 140 days and nearly $650,000 to the project.

WFTV also learned Orange County Fire and Rescue contributed to the delay. After construction began, the fire department requested a traffic light be included, because after the road is widened they'll need to stop traffic to cross four lanes.

WFTV did the math and, including the time from all the setbacks, found out the delays added $1 million to the total cost of the project.

Once the project is complete, the four-mile widening of Alafaya Trial will have cost $31 million.

Since the county extended the project, the contractor won't face fines unless it goes beyond the new April 2014 deadline.

WFTV