An expansion project at one of the busiest intersections in The Villages will take longer than anticipated.
Work is currently taking place at the intersection of Morse Boulevard and County Road 466 where turn lanes are being added.
An $863,604 contract was awarded in January to CW Roberts Contracting Inc. of Wildwood to add a second turn lane to westbound traffic turning south from CR 466 and a right turn lane for drivers turning north on Morse Boulevard.
In April, Sumter County agreed to make a change to the project after pleas from Fairway Christian Church and Hope Lutheran Church, which are located nearby. Church leaders had argued that the original plan would create Sunday-morning bottlenecks when the large congregations enter and leave the parking lots on the north side of County Road 466. The cost of adding a turn lane to accommodate the churches is $170,479.
In addition, the county will be granting a 21-day extension for the completion of the project “due to discrepancies between the bid plans and subsurface irrigation/landscaping field conditions.” The new deadline for the project, including decorative signage, is Nov. 15.
The intersection has been the scene of numerous accidents over the past several years. An accident last month left several people injured.
There was a chain-reaction collision at the intersection in May.