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Brightline completes first major construction zone leading to OIA

ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline announced that it has completed its first major construction zone on its 170-mile extension from West Palm Beach to Orlando International Airport.

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The high-speed rail company said Zone 2 is a 3.5-miles-long section on Brightline’s corridor leading into OIA.

Brightline officials said it was one of the most complex and challenging areas of construction in the entire project.

The track runs through the heart of OIA.

READ: ‘Luxury travel at its finest’: Take a tour of Central Florida’s 1st Brightline train

The construction zone includes six bridges, two underpasses and several airport improvements, including a new traffic interchange configuration at Cargo Road, located north of the airport, and the airport’s first roundabout designed to assist with traffic flow, Brightline said.

Photos: Brightline completes first major construction zone

“The completion of Zone 2 is a major milestone for the Brightline construction and engineering team as we continue to work towards the completion of the corridor to Orlando from West Palm Beach,” said Donald Jello, project manager at Brightline.

PHOTOS: Tour Central Florida’s 1st Brightline train

Beginning in 2023, the trains will travel through the airport corridor at 35 mph before heading east along SR 528 towards Cocoa where they will reach top speeds of 125 mph, according to Brightline.

The project is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2022.

READ: ‘It’s phenomenal’: 1st Brightline train arrives at Orlando

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Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.