WINTER PARK, Fla. — Construction on State Road 426 through Winter Park is expected to begin in August and last just over a year. It’s part of a safety and repaving project aimed at slowing traffic and improving pedestrian safety, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is holding an open house Monday night at the Winter Park Events Center to share details with drivers before lane closures begin. If you missed the event, you can find the presentation here.

The project spans 1.7 miles from South Park Avenue to North Lakemont Avenue. FDOT said the corridor includes several curves and has seen 742 crashes from 2018 to 2025, including two deaths and 231 injuries.

State Road 426 is a main road through Winter Park and is used by many people traveling to Park Avenue.

“I hated walking on the road,” said Lisa Bernardini, who lives in Winter Park. “You would see knocked-down guardrails, and I am just lucky I wasn’t one of the things that was hit.”

Employees at Charyli, a woman’s clothing store, said they hope the improvements will make it safer for shoppers to get to the store.

“I think it will be good, but construction is always tricky to navigate,” said Mackenzie Daugherty, an employee at Charyli.

Most of the construction is expected to take place from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. FDOT said drivers should expect lane closures, uneven pavement and signs directing traffic through the work zone.

“Folks can expect lane closures. Most of the work is going to be happening during the evening hours,” said Tim Freed, a spokesperson for FDOT. “We are going to keep at least one lane of traffic open in each direction.”

The project will cost about $8.88 million in federal, state and local funding. Planned work includes repaving the road, adding a new curve warning system, upgrading lighting and installing raised intersections and crosswalks designed to be easier to see.

“There (are) also going to be some speed tables, and when you reduce speed, studies show that you are going to reduce the severity of a crash and the likelihood of a crash,” Freed said. “So really, it is going to improve safety for everyone on this corridor.”

Bike Walk Central Florida said it supports the pedestrian improvements but wanted to see more room for bicycles in the plan. The organization said there is not a continuous bike lane through the corridor.

FDOT said there was not enough space to add bike lanes because the road is a busy stretch, and the agency could not reduce the number of driving lanes.