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FDOT: Westbound I-4 lane closed after crews damage bridge beam in downtown Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — One lane of I-4 westbound was blocked after I-4 Ultimate construction crews damaged a bridge in downtown Orlando during overnight construction, the Florida Department of Transportation said Thursday.

Officials said the incident happened near South Ivanhoe Boulevard on Thursday morning.

"Overnight, demolition work was occurring on a beam adjacent to this one," said Jessica Ottaviano, an FDOT spokeswoman. "During that work, the subcontractor impacted a bridge beam on the I-4 bridge that was scheduled to be removed in a few months."

The left westbound lane of I-4 in the area remains closed so crews can repair the damage, Ottaviano said.

"Engineers determined realigning the travel lanes on this bridge would be the best option available to get all lanes open in a timely manner," she said. "Crews will realign and shift travel lanes on the bridge to the right side."

FDOT said the lane is expected to remain closed through 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

The agency said the bridge is scheduled to be removed in the coming months, but it must remain open until other bridge work is complete.

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