News

Actions

New, unexpected road closure in The Acreage has some residents concerned about their safety, traffic

Posted at 6:56 PM, Aug 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-23 18:56:54-04

On Tuesday, residents in the Acreage found an unexpected change in their community.

Drivers learned that 60th Street North was closed.

Mary Nichols lives off of 180th Avenue North which intersects with 60th.

She said she first knew change was coming when she saw a sign at the end of 60th last month.

The sign reads: "Public notice. 60th St N Access to Mandarin Blvd will undergo permanent closure by end of August 2016. This closure is requisite to a 2010 litigation agreement to address private property grievances."

Nichols said she had no other type of warning.

Now, she has to drive farther to get to her home, forced to travel north to then go south. She said the extra drive time has her worried for future emergencies.

"There's the extra time factor, in case of emergency services, in case of fire, in case of paramedics trying to get here," Nichols said.

Another problem drivers will now encounter happens when classes end each day at Frontier Elementary.

The only way out now is along Tangerine Boulevard, which gets backed up with traffic each day as parents wait to pick up their children.

"It takes a couple minutes, half an hour or so in this line right here so it does help having that road open," said Ysteb Mattei-Yarnold, who also lives in the Acreage.

She said she had no idea 60th Street North was closing.

"I use it all the time," she said.

On Tuesday, other signs could be seen throughout the area to warn drivers about the closure.

Officials say this isn't the first closure to happen here, but it was the last in a series of closures.