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9 Investigates dramatic increase in crashes through I-4 Ultimate corridor

ORLANDO, Fla. — In the two years before the I-4 Ultimate Project got underway, the Fairbanks curve area between Par Street and Fairbanks Avenue saw 178 crashes.

In the two years after the project started, that number increased by 71 percent to 305 crashes.

While the Florida Department of Transportation says none of the crashes could be directly attributed to the I-4 Ultimate Project, some drivers said that wasn’t the case.

“It’s dangerous and it’s horrible,” Fred Graves said.

The constant changes, especially with on- and off-ramps, can make driving on Interstate 4 a real challenge, Tyler Anderson said.

“Their exits are changing by the week and they can’t get off now,” he said. “Tomorrow they have to get off at another exit, so it’s just causing so much disruption.”

As the project continues, FDOT officials said they are tweaking the way they handle certain traffic pattern changes, such as using contrasting solid lines with reflectors instead of dashes for lane shifts.