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Delays ahead for Interstate 4 construction
Dealing with I-4 Ultimate construction is bad enough, but how there is a brand new Lee Road exit ramp in Eatonville that is considered dangerous by many who work nearby.
MAITLAND, Fla. - Some residents say a new I-4 Ultimate ramp at Lee Road is too dangerous, because of its proximity to nearby buildings.
A vehicle parked adjacent to the ramp was recently damaged after a tire flew off another vehicle that was traveling on the interstate. It happened a couple of weeks ago at a car dealership.
People who work off Lake Destiny Road in Eatonville say the new westbound exit ramp is too close for comfort. Jennifer Gavigan works in a glass building right next to the ramp.
"I just pray a lot when I’m sitting there. You hear the screeching of the brakes and the trucks and you always turn around and look," she says.
"We’ve been here 19 years now and haven’t been concerned till the recent debris in our neighborhood," says Mark Watts, who owns a business next door.
We reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation about the safety concerns and are waiting to hear back. According to a report from SGL, the contractor for the I-4 Ultimate, there have been more than 3,000 incidents of debris along the whole project since it started five years ago. Gavigan says the original ramp wasn’t nearly as close.
"I think they should have reconsidered how close they put it to the buildings that are here. This is all glass our building. It can be a danger for sure."
According to the SGL report, the I-4 Ultimate project is now delayed by nine months, due to the hurricanes and some equipment failure.
Gavigan hopes they make safety improvements before it’s too late.
"Maybe if they could put some kind of fencing up it still would get the building visible."
Watts says it's about safety.
"Maybe some higher barriers. When it’s this close to our establishment here to prevent something like that from happening again.
So for our employees here, safety is the main concern."
The I-4 Ultimate project is scheduled to be completed toward the end of 2021.