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POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — New lanes on I-4 from eastern Polk County to Osceola County have loosened up traffic flow in an area notorious for congestion.
“I drive on I-4 daily,” said Chad Jones, who works as a sales representative for a roofing company. “It was a parking lot to say the least, a lot of congestion.”
He said he can tell the traffic flow has improved this week.
“You can notice more of a flow. It’s not as bumper to bumper all the time,” Jones said.
In recent days, the Florida Department of Transportation opened a fourth lane on each side of I-4 between U.S. 27 and World Drive, a $27 million project.
It is considered a first step in the $3.4 billion Moving I-4 Forward program.
“Seeing blue on your GPS, that’s something that drivers have not seen in that area for a long time. So to finally see it, that shows that it’s working, it’s a sign of success,” said Matthew Richardson, director of communications for the Moving I-4 Forward program.
Richardson said the “congestion relief lanes” were completed eight months ahead of schedule.
Along with updates to interchanges on I-4, the state is also planning “Project 3,” which will extend Orlando-area paid express lanes into Polk County.
A completion date is not being made public yet but work on the express lanes is set to begin in 2026.
“Those express lanes are a proven method that has helped to reduce congestion along I-4 and also gives drivers an option on how to best get to their destination quicker,” Richardson said. “The goal is to have a continuous connectivity throughout Seminole, Orange and into Polk County.”
The state is also working on alternate routes, including the Central Polk Parkway East.