ORLANDO, Fla. — Soon more drivers across Central Florida will be able to use the shoulder to get around crashes.
The Central Florida Expressway Authority’s flex lanes are now complete on State Road 417, and testing will soon begin on another stretch of State Road 429.
Last Thursday, a fiery crash led to lane closures and miles of backups on the 417 near Boggy Creek Road. But crews quickly opened the flex lanes, allowing drivers to get around the closure using the shoulder.
This summer, the Central Florida Expressway Authority finished 21 miles of flex lanes along State Road 417 between International Drive and State Road 528. Flex lanes have also been operating for several months on State Road 429 between Tilden Road and Florida’s Turnpike.
Signs posted above the highway alert drivers when lanes are closed ahead and when the shoulder is opening up, giving them time to adjust.
Central Florida Expressway Authority’s Brian Hutchings said the rollout has gone smoothly so far.
“People are using them properly. They’re not cheating and using them to get around traffic,” Hutchings said. “They’re actually using them when they’ve been activated.”
According to CFX, flex lanes have been activated four times to date.
With the system becoming more common across Central Florida highways, the agency says it is getting more questions from drivers about conditions on the shoulders. Crews sweep the shoulders before opening them to drivers and now conduct daily litter patrols six days a week.
“We have more frequent sweeping of the flex lanes shoulders than we do elsewhere of our systems because we want them to be prepared,” Hutchings said.
Crews will begin testing the flex lanes on State Road 429 between Florida’s Turnpike and State Road 414 this fall, with the goal of having them operational by the end of the year.
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