South Lake Press - Clermont, FL

The half-mile Hooks Road extension, the missing link for years to provide drivers a way to get from U.S. Highway 27 to Han-cock Road without having to use State Road 50, is open for business.

South Lake Chamber of Commerce President Ray San Fratello said the extension between Grand High-way and Sandhill Boulevard is something the people of South Lake County have been waiting many years for.

Now that the extension is open, highlighted by a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, San Fratello said businesses may be interested in the undeveloped land around it.

"Since its opening, the new road has served as a great alternate road to State Road 50 and has improved traffic flow in the area," Lake County Public Works Director Jim Stivender said.

The $1.5 million project took eight months to complete.

The finished project in-cludes the construction of approximately 2,667 feet of divided roadway, with four travel lanes and two bicycle lanes. The project was funded by a grant re-ceived from the Florida Department of Transporta-tion.

Stivender said Hooks will come in handy because of the construction at SR 50 and U.S. 27 that just started earlier this year. That project -- set to build a cloverleaf at the intersection for motorists exiting onto U.S. 27 -- will also help to ease traffic congestion on SR 50 when it opens sometime next year.

The road is named after Jerry Oliver Hooks, the son of one of the earliest settlers of the Clermont area, Max and Mae Hooks.