ORLANDO, Fla. — A major traffic shift is starting next week on Interstate 4 through downtown Orlando as part of the I-4 Ultimate project and thousands of drivers could get caught off guard by the new traffic pattern.
The westbound lanes near Ivanhoe Boulevard will be shifted to the right starting Monday morning.
Construction crews are going to start the process of shifting the westbound traffic Saturday night.
Photos: I-4 Ultimate project overview
Photos: I-4 Ultimate project renderings
Special Section: I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project
The whole process is expected to take the weekend so that by 5 a.m. Monday drivers will come across the new traffic pattern.
It’s taken weeks to prepare the road for the first major shift along the interstate.
There used to be a split in the road by Colonial Drive and Ivanhoe Boulevard, but Monday morning drivers will have to move over to the right because the lanes will be shifted over.
Crews had to redo the road by taking out the median that once separated traffic and also building new lanes in its place.
“When we are done, there will still be five lanes open. They’ll just be shifted to the right compared to how you’re used to driving now,” said I-4 Ultimate representative Dave Parks.
I-4 Ultimate officials said it's the first of two shifts planned for the area.
Not only will the traffic pattern change, but I-4 officials said the lanes and shoulders will also be about a foot smaller, so drivers need to pay close attention to the changes.
"There is a little less room getting through there, but again, we have the road rangers who can respond to motorists when they're in trouble," said Parks.
The lanes will be a foot smaller, going from 12 feet to 11 feet, and the shoulders will be smaller too, making it harder for drivers to get out of traffic if there’s an accident or a disabled car.
“The lanes are going to be closer together, so drivers are going to have a little less room for error,” said Kim Montes, of the Florida Highway Patrol.
The traffic shift will last for two years.
Once the shift if done, traffic on the eastbound side will also be shifted. That should happen in about six to eight weeks.