ORLANDO, Fla. — Jayne Coupland says she was recently involved in a minor wreck on Universal Boulevard south of Sand Lake Road, a stretch of road she has come to fear in the afternoons.
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"Somebody was trying to pull over behind me. I had to slam on my brake, because the guy obviously in front of me was braking, and he just scratched my rear bumper on my jeep," Coupland said.
Although she came away unscathed, Coupland says she believes the area's afternoon traffic problems on Universal Boulevard come from traffic exiting the Lockheed Martin facility, calling it a “really weird exit.”
Lockheed Martin currently employs over 4,000 people in their Orlando location, making it one of Central Florida's largest industrial employer.
The current exit for Lockheed Martin dumps drivers onto Universal Boulevard south of Sand Lake Road. Jayne says that law enforcement sometimes blocks a lane in both directions to help the masses out of the complex, which can create backups, especially on the Southbound side to already busy Sand Lake Road.
Is relief on the way for drivers like Jayne? There’s a good chance.
Orange County officials and Lockheed Martin both recognize the problem and have decided to include a traffic signal in the I-Drive Transit Lanes project at Universal Boulevard and Perimeter Road. However, both parties have agreed to work together to advance the signal ahead of the project.
Lockheed Martin is currently designing the signal, and Orange County will construct it. No official timeline for completion has been given.
As for Coupland, she says that until the area gets fixed, its unique mixture of drivers is a recipe for potential future wrecks.
"This is a high tourist area. They don't know the roads. And the locals that do know the roads, they know it's going to be blocked. So they drive a little bit crazier to get around it faster,” she explained.