ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation is set to open a new ramp system along I-4 at Sand Lake Road this weekend.
This marks a major overhaul to one of Central Florida’s busiest interchanges, aiming to make driving smoother for commuters.
The new ramp system is expected to help reduce traffic bottlenecks in an area known to drivers heading to and from the attractions area.
The interchange handles more than 100,000 vehicles every day, indicating a significant need for improved traffic flow and safety.
Brittney Jones, a Florida Department of Transportation official, highlighted the importance of these improvements.
“There are more than 100,000 vehicles that drive through this interchange every day and so we want to make this interchange as efficient and safe as we can,” Jones said.
The new system will provide a direct connection to Turkey Lake Road for drivers coming from westbound I-four and westbound Sand Lake Road.
Florida Department of Transportation officials state this will cut down on weaving and last-minute lane changes.
The biggest benefit of the new ramp system is giving drivers the option to bypass Sand Lake Road altogether when exiting I-four.
This is expected to reduce existing backups at the interchange.
To complete the new ramp system, crews will shut down the I-4 westbound ramp to Sand Lake Road overnight.
This closure will occur from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for the next few days until the ramp opens Saturday morning.
The new ramp system is part of a much larger transformation project for the interchange.
Future plans include bringing a complete diverging diamond to the interchange, which will eliminate left turns for drivers across oncoming traffic.
Additionally, crews are building a single express lane on I-4 westbound.
This express lane will stretch from west of the Beachline to west of Central Florida Parkway.
The new ramp system along I-4 at Sand Lake Road is scheduled to open Saturday morning.
The ongoing project will continue to bring additional changes, including a diverging diamond interchange and a new express lane.
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