ORLANDO, Fla. — Thursday will be an epic day in Central Florida, as Universal Epic Universe officially opens in Orlando.
Locals and tourists heading toward the theme parks will notice ongoing construction along area roads.
That includes Sand Lake Road.
The Florida Department of Transportation said the I-4 / Sand Lake Road interchange project will eventually make a major difference in the area.
FDOT said over 100,000 vehicles drive through the interchange every day, so officials want to make it as efficient and as safe as possible.
FDOT added that the I-4 / Sand Lake interchange is a vital connection to some of Central Florida’s biggest attractions.
Crews are reconstructing it to a diverging diamond pattern. They are also reconfiguring and lengthening ramps and improving capacity on Sand Lake and Turkey Lake roads.
For weeks, Channel 9 has been reporting on overnight closures through the area as FDOT works on a traffic shift.
And now we know that the new I-4 Westbound off-ramp will be ready for drivers beginning Saturday morning, May 17.
“We’re shifting that ramp to be a little closer to the interchange and further away from the intersection, so that should provide some relief to the local intersections, because it will provide more space along Sand Lake Road for cars that are coming off of the interchange,” said FDOT’s Brittney Jones.
It’s no coincidence the traffic shift comes as Universal Epic Universe prepares to open next week.
“This is already a very busy interchange, and so with Epic Universe opening as well as all of the other attractions in this area, this is something that should hopefully provide some short term relief, but drivers will see the full relief of this project upon completion,” Jones said.
FDOT said it expects to have all of the ramps completed by the end of this year.
The full project is expected to be finished by 2027.
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