October 16, 2026
Britt Road Reopens Nearly Two Years After Hurricane Milton Collapse
By Cindy Peterson
Britt Road Reopens Nearly Two Years After Hurricane Milton Collapse
After nearly two years of closures, detours and reconstruction, Britt Road near Mount Dora is finally reopening.
Lake County officials announced that Britt Road will reopen to traffic Friday, Oct. 16, following the completion of a major roadway reconstruction project prompted by Hurricane Milton.
The road has been closed since Oct. 10, 2024, when heavy rainfall from the hurricane caused a significant washout, leaving the roadway impassable.
Britt Road serves as a connection between State Road 44 and Wolf Branch Road, making the closure a lengthy inconvenience for area residents and commuters who have been forced to use alternate routes.
According to updates published on Lake County’s website, the nearly two-year repair process involved more than just rebuilding the damaged roadway. Property acquisition took approximately a year, followed by another seven months of permitting and grant-related requirements before construction could move forward.
In July, the Lake County Commission approved the Britt Road Reconstruction and Culvert Replacement project, awarding a $1,070,286 construction contract to Ranger Construction Industries. The construction portion was funded through federal and state grants, with additional costs associated with property acquisition.
Crews reconstructed approximately 260 feet of roadway, widened the road to two 12-foot travel lanes with shoulders and installed significant drainage improvements designed to better withstand future storms.
Those improvements include a 48-inch underground drainage pipe, reinforced culverts, stormwater inlets and roadside swales to help manage runoff and prevent water from flowing over the roadway during heavy rainfall.
According to the county’s updates, the rebuilt road will also have restrictions on trucks weighing more than 10 tons, with exceptions for local deliveries.
Lake County Commission Chairman Leslie Campione is scheduled to discuss the completed repairs during a media availability at Britt Road at 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Photos by Flosight Drone Works LLC
Cindy serves as Executive Editor of Style Magazine and is a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography and video editing. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine’s Sports Hub Podcast and Style Podcast. Cindy also serves as a producer for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy enjoys traveling to national parks with her husband, Ryan, and son, David, while photographing wildlife — especially squirrels.
