Incidents

Flooding closes 2 lanes of I-4 near downtown Orlando, Universal

ORLANDO, Fla. — Heavy rain caused the closure of two lanes of Interstate 4 near downtown on Wednesday evening, the Orlando Police Department said.

Police said two westbound lanes of I-4 were closed at the exit to West Michigan Street about 7:15 p.m.

Flooding also caused the closure of two eastbound lanes of I-4 near the exit to South Kirkman Road, officials said.

The closures have caused delays. Drivers are asked to use caution while traveling through the two areas.

Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Olson said the agency will soon discuss the issue with the I-4 Ultimate project's contractor.

Although there was a lot of rain Wednesday, the public expects the interstate to not flood, Olson said.

Olson said the contractor had gone up and down the corridor in anticipation of the rain. It's possible the drainage system couldn't handle the tremendous amount of rain, he said.

Watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News beginning at 5 a.m. for updates to this developing story.