KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Has construction stopped on a stretch of roadway intended to alleviate congestion near Neptune Road in Osceola County?

  • Cross Prairie Parkway under construction in congested area of Osceola
  • Parkway will eventually pass through several unfinished developments
  • Viewer asks us whether construction stoppage meant money ran out

Ronald Gillette contacted us recently to get to the bottom of the apparent stoppage and a rumor that the county ran out of money to complete it.

Eric Pastrana has lived in Osceola County since 1989 and is a frequent user of both Neptune Road and U.S. 192.

"I would say at least, like, four or five times a week," Pastrana said recently.

These days, his usage of Neptune Road has only increased.

"Usually I use Neptune Road because my sister lives in this area," he said.

But Pastrana said the road can be quite dangerous if you're not paying enough attention.

"Trying to avoid an accident, people just go in the ditch. I've seen that many times," he said.

Growing congestion on both Neptune Road and U.S. 192 has prompted the need for cut-through roads, which is where Cross Prairie Parkway comes into play.

The parkway, still in its infancy, will eventually extend several miles to the south of Friars Cove Road in St. Cloud through multiple planned developments. 

Right now, it runs to the planned community of Kindred, but an important spur is being built that will soon connect Neptune Road to Shady Lane.

"I can't wait for it to be built," Pastrana said.

So to answer Gillette's question: Osceola County government assures us it hasn't run out of money. 

The roadway is being built by a developer, so the county is not responsible for construction, though it is overseeing the project. Paving operations have already taken place, but the county said bad weather last week prevented workers from doing so earlier.

D.R. Horton, the developer of that portion of Cross Prairie Parkway, said that although the stretch of Neptune Road will be done in February, it won't open until sometime around August, when the expansion of Shady Lane itself is complete.

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