The 25 worst intersections Orlando has to offer

N. Mills Avenue and E. Colonial Drive

There’s a "no left turn" sign clearly marked at this intersection, but too many assholes choose to ignore this little detail, essentially causing an entire lane to shut down on Mills to shut down. In rush hour traffic, already packed together like sardines, this kind of idiocy doesn’t do anyone any favors.
Photo by Marissa Mahoney

I-4 and 408 Interchange

When driving from the I-4 West to the 408 West, you have to cross over a lane. Which doesn’t sound so bad, until you realize that lane is almost always filled with people going from I-4 East to 408 East. This is without a doubt the sphincter of downtown.

World Center Drive and State Road 535

Tired and cranky tourists aren’t as cheery when they leave “the happiest place on earth,” and a lot of them take out their frustrations at this intersection. With a turn lane that isn’t clearly marked, confused tourists cut back into the right lane on World Center, slowing down a traffic flow that is already going snail speed because of lengthy red lights.

Woodbury Road and E. Colonial Drive

These two roads meeting wouldn’t be so bad if Colonial wasn’t constantly closing lanes because of construction. With the blocked out lanes and the proximity to the 408, it’s a wonder that any cars can crawl through during peak traffic times.

University Boulevard and Alafaya Trail

With students and business professionals fleeing campus and Research Parkway, this intersection becomes packed mid-afternoon. Plus, on Friday and Saturday nights, drivers have to deal with plastered undergrads roaming the sidewalks and stepping out into the crosswalk.

W. Sand Lake Road and Universal Boulevard

Nearly a dozen lanes and hundreds of lost tourists who don’t have a clue where to go after exiting the theme parks definitely don’t make up a winning combination. Drivers crawl through these roads, constantly cut off by clueless out-of-state drivers looking helplessly for the right lane that will take them safely to the highway.

Sand Lake Road and Turkey Lake Road

This intersection is a triple threat, with drivers flooding the road from Restaurant Row, crowding the I-4 ramp and making their way down I-Drive. Add to that mess a few awfully-timed red lights and you’re left sitting in a steaming pile of traffic crap forever.

Pine Street and Orange Avenue

The problem here is that Pine is a two way street only for stretch downtown, so cars going east on this street often casually drive against traffic once they cross Orange Ave. In the mornings, trucks are always parked along Pine unloading boxes and no matter the time of day, cars never think to look for pedestrians at the crosswalks.

W. Par Street and Edgewater Drive

Definitely avoid this intersection around mid-afternoon: When school lets out, the entire student body at Edgewater High streams out of the parking lot right into the middle of this junction. And we all know 16-year-olds that just got their licenses don’t always make for the best companions when sharing the road.

Old Cheney Highway and E. Colonial Drive

This popular cut-through connects Colonial and Semoran, but the problem is that no one merges properly into westbound traffic, especially during rush hour, leaving a pileup that takes what seems like a decade to slug through.

Millenia Boulevard and Conroy Road

This intersection is located right next to the Millenia Mall and is always clogged with tourists weaving suddenly across lanes trying to get back on the I-4. You never know what a minivan-wielding dad from Montana hyped up on IKEA meatballs might do.

I-4 and Lee Road

The lights surrounding these I-4 ramps just aren’t timed right. Trying to get on the highway from this road is like climbing up the slope of a rocky cliff: Exhaustingly tedious, slow and more often than not, jammed up by some sort of hulking road block, like a couple of semi-trucks.

Lee Road and State Road 17-92

Say what you want about health nuts, but fans of the new Whole Foods at this intersection constantly mess up the flow of traffic, which means you’ll be late having to deal with some psycho with one hand in a bag of kale chips, guzzling asparagus water swerving in and out of your lane.

Adanson Street and Lee Road

This light must carry a grudge against empty, non-congested roads: It only lets 3 or 4 cars turn left onto Lee each cycle, taunting the next person in line with a flickering, fast yellow flash that is likely to catch you out in the middle of the street come its red glow.

Lake Underhill Road and S. Goldenrod Road

The lights at this intersection are notoriously short, which usually results in some idiot who thought he could make the turn getting stuck out in the middle of traffic, effectively blocking a couple of lanes from moving down an otherwise clear road.