Lake County businesses worried about construction impact

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - Some small businesses in Mount Dora are frustrated about the impact a major construction project on Old U.S. Highway 411 is having on their businesses.

The backstory:

There is a major construction project underway to build a roundabout on Old U.S. Highway 441 near Eudora Road in Mount Dora.

It's part of a larger construction project to improve traffic flow and overall safety for those driving through East Lake County, according to county officials.

Timeline:

In August, Lake County officials announced that north- and southbound traffic on Eudora Road and Old U.S. Highway 411 would be intermittently closed, forcing drivers to use Bay Road, Lake Center Drive, and US Highway 441 to access CR 19A and Eudora Road.

The work specifically on Eudora Road and Old US Highway 411 is expected to continue into 2027, and will require additional traffic adjustments starting in January.

Schedule:

• Current Phase – February: Old U.S. Highway 441 will remain partially closed while utility crews finish initial infrastructure work.
• Spring Phase: The road will undergo a full 3-month closure to allow heavy machinery to complete the roundabout structure.

Local businesses feeling the impact

What they're saying:

At the Magical Meat Boutique, a local British pub on Old U.S. Highway 441, co-owners Phil Barnard and Kate Bellamy said sales have plummeted by 42% since construction began—forcing them to cut some of their staff.

"They will be shutting the whole junction. There's a lot of businesses on that street that will become a dead end like we have been," Barnard said.

"We've had to let two of our staff go and take shifts away from everyone, and it's heartbreaking," Bellamy added. "They're like family to us."

The other side:

Officials with Lake County said keeping the intersection open while construction crews work on the underground utilities would have extended the construction schedule by a year – and would have cost an estimated $1 million more.

"Lake County determined that completing this project would be nearly impossible while remaining open to traffic..." a spokesperson said, in part, in a statement.

Officials said they have worked with first responders to establish safe, detour routes and updated GPS databases, so drivers are automatically routed around the construction zone.

The county said it is also working to install signs along the detour routes to direct people to those businesses, letting them know that they're still open.

Will it be enough?

Local perspective:

"The road signs only help the people who are looking for us," Barnard said. "It doesn't make up for the amount of drive-by business you get."