ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — There’s been a lot of hype about Trader Joe’s since it opened in Winter Park, and the chain is about to open its newest store in Orange County.
Some are concerned the new store on Sand Lake Road in Dr. Phillips will cause a traffic nightmare in an already congested area.
When the Winter Park location opened last year, hundreds of people packed the store, causing backups along US 17-92.
Poll: Do you think the new store will create a traffic mess?
On Friday, the same stampede is expected when the Dr. Phillips location opens on Sand Lake Road.
That could cause traffic headaches for people like Danielle McVey who didn’t know the store was coming, but knows how bad traffic already is in the area during rush house.
“Puts an extra at least 20-30 minutes onto your timing, so it makes it pretty difficult to get to where you’re going unfortunately,” McVey said.
Many of the people heading to the store will have to pass through the intersection on Turkey Lake Road, which has been plagued with crashes and congestion.
Orange County leaders added a red-light camera because of the crashes.
So while a lot of shoppers are excited for the area’s second location to open, some drivers feel differently.
“It’s going to be a little bit more congested than it already is so it’ll probably be a little problematic for sure. Sand Lake is definitely not one of the easiest roads,” McVey said.
WFTV
