New Traffic Light Planned for Scenic Highway at Mountain Lake Road

A dangerous and often congested intersection of Scenic Highway and Mountain Lake Road on the near north side of Lake Wales is expected to become a bit safer after the Florida Department of Transportation completes the installation of a traffic signal.

Traffic is frequently backed for left turns from northbound Scenic to westbound Mountain Lake, while left turns onto northbound Scenic are even more difficult. Protected left turns are expected to be a feature of the new signal. Construction on the project is planned to begin on January 31, and will take aa few weeks to complete. Once the signal is lighted it will remain on flashing mode for a short period to accustom drivers to its presence before being fully activated.

The busy intersection has previously been cited as an ideal location for a roundabout. That was a solution to a similar crossroads at the southern edge of the city, at Scenic Highway and Hunt Brothers Road, which had been the scene of at least four fatalities. The roundabout has dramatically reduced the danger of the intersection and has proved to be able to readily handle large volumes of traffic, most recently during the closure of US 27 for construction of the new SR 60 overpass.