Osceola County leaders are gearing up for a serious attack on traffic jams in and around St. Cloud and Buenaventura Lakes, signing off on two big-ticket road projects that officials say are meant to keep local commutes from grinding to a halt in the coming years.
Commissioners give the go-ahead
At the Board’s Feb. 16 meeting, county commissioners voted to move both efforts into their next phase, clearing the way for design work, procurement and federal grant applications, according to ClickOrlando. County staff framed the decisions as a proactive strike on congestion that they warned will only intensify as more homes and businesses spring up.
Canoe Creek Road: from two lanes to four
One of the headliners is Canoe Creek Road, where the county plans to rebuild about 4.65 miles between Deer Run Road and U.S. 192 as a four-lane divided urban roadway. The upgrade calls for a 10-foot shared-use path on the southbound side and a 6-foot sidewalk on the northbound side to better handle walkers and cyclists, per the county’s project page on One Osceola.
The county’s PD&E study for Canoe Creek was accepted by FDOT last year, clearing a key hurdle, and design work is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2026, according to One Osceola.
Study: traffic will surge
County and St. Cloud traffic models suggest that traffic volumes on Canoe Creek could roughly double by 2050. Commissioners were told that widening the road now is meant to ward off future gridlock, ClickOrlando reported. The station notes an estimated $64 million construction cost and a plan to chase a $25 million federal grant to help cover the bill.
Buenaventura Boulevard to get 'complete streets' treatment
The second major project is the Buenaventura Boulevard Safety Improvements and Complete Streets plan, which targets the stretch between Simpson Road and Osceola Parkway. The county is looking at traffic-calming roundabouts, new pedestrian beacons and a 12-foot shared-use path along the corridor, according to One Osceola.
Project documents on One Osceola show that Buenaventura Boulevard is currently in the right-of-way acquisition phase, with construction anticipated to kick off in late 2025 if everything stays on track.
County says it is planning ahead
County transportation officials say both efforts are part of a 20-year planning horizon that looks well beyond today’s slow spots and toward expected growth in southeast St. Cloud and Kissimmee. Transportation and Transit Executive Director Christina Colón told Spectrum News 13 that the push is about getting ahead of demand rather than scrambling after the fact.
Officials also caution that there is still plenty of prep work ahead. Environmental studies, permitting and additional right-of-way acquisition need to be wrapped up before the heavy machinery shows up.
Money and timing
The county’s adopted FY26 budget includes a $14 million allocation for Canoe Creek design and engineering along with other transportation improvements. Construction funding for Canoe Creek is expected to depend on federal and other grants, plus future county budget actions, according to the budget rollup from Osceola County, which lists the design appropriation among several road projects advancing in the coming fiscal year.
