Road work on hold near Amtrak, SunRail stops at Orlando Health

The Amtrak train station near the Orlando Health campus just south of downtown Orlando is in the midst of a $2.1 million rehabilitation, but a raft of improvements to the nearby road network is on hold.

Orlando has $4 million set aside to resurface roads, install a bus lane, pedestrian island and other enhancements, but the bids from private contractors have come in at least $1 million higher than expected.

“Bottom line is we don’t have enough money to do the project,” said Rick Howard, Orlando’s publicworks director.

Seeking new bids is a possibility, but that may not work because prices have gone up in the construction industry.

“It’s a sign of the economy bouncing back a bit,” said F.J. Flynn, Orlando’s chief transportation planner.

So the city is mulling its options, which include seeking more money in the form of a grant from the state Department of Transportation. But it is difficult to say if the agency has the extra money, particularly as the state Legislature is about to meet to set the budget for the coming year.

If the city eventually gets the cash, it would repave Sligh Boulevard and add a bus lane and a stop along the road. That not only would serve Amtrak passengers, but also those who ride SunRail, which has a stop next to the station.

The work also would take care of drainage along Sligh and Columbia Street and improve the sidewalks, crosswalks and landscaping in and around the Amtrak and SunRail stops.

The Amtrak station, built in 1926, is considered one of the area’s prime examples of Spanish Mission architecture. But is has fallen into disrepair. Among the items being fixed are cracks and leaks, repainting and fixing the air conditioning and moving the units to the roof and installing wheelchair ramps.

City officials also hope to find additional grant money to fix up the interior during a future phase of renovations.