SEMINOLE/VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation has approved $85 million to add one lane in each direction on I-4 between the Longwood exit and the Volusia County line, a stretch drivers say has been a daily headache for years.
FDOT says the project is needed because the corridor is already over capacity, even with express lanes already in place.
Carlos Mejia has driven this stretch for 25 years. He says the backup near the St. Johns River bridge has been a problem for as long as he can remember.
“It’s just crazy. It’s crazy,” Mejia said.
Mejia pointed to the on-ramp near the bridge as a major cause of the slowdown.
“Whoever, my opinion, whoever created that on ramp right on the bridge, that’s the major cause I think,” Mejia said. “And then there’s one right before that, so everybody slows down.”
He says he welcomes the extra lane, but doubts it will solve the problem for long.
“I think it’ll help for a little bit, but then you know more people will move down here and then it’ll start over again,” Mejia said. “So it’s never end. It’ll never end.”
Sandra Houseman, who used to commute across the bridge for work, says the traffic doesn’t let up, no matter the time of day.
“No, it doesn’t matter at all, at all. Lunch time, whatever,” Houseman said.
Houseman says she isn’t convinced one additional lane will be enough.
“One lane, not really,” Houseman said. “I think that the exits, on how much they give each person to get back onto the lane, is what’s hindering it.”
FDOT has not announced a timeline for when construction will begin or when drivers can expect to see the new lanes. Channel 9 has reached out to the agency for more information.
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