The Florida Department of Transportation announced Saturday that it will temporarily close State Road 50 (a.k.a. Colonial Drive) under Interstate 4, each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The closures will start Monday, June 22, through Friday the 26th.
FDOT released a handout about the nightly closure, but the gist is, if you’re traveling eastbound on Colonial Drive, turn right onto Hughey Ave. and take Amelia Street to Magnolia Ave. If you’re traveling westbound, turn left onto Orange Avenue, and take Amelia Street to Parramore Ave. Or just avoid the area overnights next week.
The construction is part of the $2.3 billion project, which is rebuilding 21 miles of highway from west of Kirkman Road to east of State Road 434 in Longwood, providing a something you can eventually point out to relatives from out of town and shout, “this all has changed so much!”
You can also let them know the project has taken five workers’ lives, the last death occurring nearby on Sept. 28, when a beam crashed down onto a construction worker near the I-4/408 interchange close to Lake Lucerne.
FDOT could move or extend the work on Colonial due to weather, so if you plan to travel near the bridge next week, check ahead on their website.
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This article appears in Jun 17-23, 2020.