LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Just over four months since Hurricane Milton hit Florida, drivers in Lake County still cannot use a popular road to get to the Wekiva Parkway.

What You Need To Know

  • Hurricane Milton destroyed a 100 foot section of Britt Road in Lake County

  • Complicated engineering, obtaining right-of-way, and a $1-2 million price tag are delaying construction

  • The closure of Britt Road has meant more congestion on State Road 44

  • There’s no timeline yet for when construction will begin, but the hope is repairs will be completed in 2025

The storm wiped out a 100-foot section of Britt Road in the Mount Dora area.

About 15 inches of rain caused a hole about 20 feet deep.

“Normally it is a very, very busy road,” said Barbara Knox, who operates the Plants-R-Us wholesale nursery off of Britt Road.

Florida Department of Transportation data shows around 5,300 cars used to travel Britt Road every day because it is a critical north-south connector between State Road 44 and Round Lake Road.

Now very few vehicles are on the road.

“The damaged roadway presents unique geologic and hydrologic conditions and land access/right-of-way issues,” said Lake County communications manager Jeff Foley.

He said the slope’s drainage patterns and area’s environmental sensitivity add to the complexity of the project.

Lake County will have to work with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Florida Department of Transportation, the city of Mount Dora and the St. Johns River Water Management District to get the project completed.

“It’s definitely a cut-through road," Knox said. "So, a lot of people use it to get to the 429 over here."

The closure of Britt Road has meant more congestion on State Road 44, per Lake County.

There’s no timeline yet for when construction will begin, but the hope is repairs will be completed in 2025.

“The construction will likely take about six months,” said Foley. “Repairs should cost between $1 million and $2 million.”