The I-4 Express experiment -- toll lanes down the center of I-4 -- how are they working?

Whether you drive a minivan or a semi-truck we all use the same asphalt roads.

Interstate 4 is preparing to open its express lanes as soon as 10 a.m. Saturday, the Florida Department of Transportation announced.

As the I-4 Ultimate Project reaches a major milestone, a key feature of the construction project is set to open soon.

The Crossroads shopping center is set to be demolished. The shopping center used to be owned by Disney World.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Drivers who said their vehicles have been damaged as a result of the I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project in the Orlando area are denied claims more often than they are approved. SGL Contractors, the company hired by the Florida Department of Transportation to overhaul Interstate 4, reports they have received 1,378 claims since the project started in 2015. “My whole total front was just messed up.”Rosemary said she filed a claim with her insurance and with the I-4 Ultimate Project on its website. Five months later, she said she received a letter from the insurance company for SGL denying her claim. One day after News 6 contacted her insurance company, she was issued a check for her deductible, but SGL’s insurance company still refuses to pay.

Taxpayers are already largely funding the $2.3 billion construction costs of the I-4 Ultimate Project, started in 2015. With respect to the ongoing project, Skanska and SGL Constructors remain fully committed to successfully completing the I-4 Ultimate project as currently planned,” the statement read. Heckman said Lane will continue to work with Skanska and Granite Construction Company (SGL) to complete the project without any further delays, despite the lawsuit. FDOT said it would hold SGL accountable for finishing the I-4 Ultimate Project by the end of the year. SGL could terminate the I-4 Ultimate Project contract with FDOT and I-4 Mobility Partners if FDOT caused a delay of 180 days or more, according to the lawsuit, which occurred.

On Saturday, a new ramp from eastbound State Road 408 to Orange Avenue will open for drivers. “That’s a ramp that’s been closed since late April while crews reconstructed the ramp,” David Parks, with I-4 Ultimate Project said. [TRENDING: What La Nina could mean for rest of hurricane season | Bars allowed to open in Florida | Gator ambushes, attacks Florida woman]The closure, destruction and remodel was part of the I-4 Ultimate Project. “I-4 drivers will not be able to use this exit to get to Orange Avenue. Westbound I-4 drivers can exit to Anderson street and follow Anderson street to Orange Avenue and eastbound I-4 drivers can exit to South Street and follow that to Anderson and eventually to Orange Avenue,” Parks explained.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Department of Transportation will be closing the westbound I-4 entrance ramp from southbound Orange Blossom Trail as soon as Monday. Officials said trucks will follow Orange Blossom Trail to Colonial Drive and John Young Parkway to enter I-4. Accessing westbound I-4 from northbound Orange Blossom Trail:Continue north onto Orange Blossom Trail. Turn left onto John Young Parkway. Accessing westbound I-4 from southbound Orange Blossom Trail:Turn right onto Colonial Drive.

Ron DeSantis was in Orlando Monday to talk about advancements in construction projects, including the I-4 Ultimate Project, amid the slower traffic due to the coronavirus. DeSantis was in Orlando to announce the opening of State Road 408 and I-4 interchange and five new flyover ramps. FDOT Secretary Kevin Thibault joined the governor along I-4 for the announcement. As for when the 21-mile I-4 Ultimate project will be complete, Thibault said the target is sometime next year. More details about I-4 construction and closures can be found here.

I-4 travel temporarily reduced to one lane through OrlandoPublished: May 15, 2020, 7:04 amTravel has temporarily been reduced to one lane on Interstate 4 in Orlando as construction efforts ramp up during the coronavirus pandemic.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Construction crews shifted a busy Orlando Interstate 4 exit ramp into its final configuration for the I-4 Ultimate Project, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. The I-4 eastbound exit to South Street (Exit 82B), and eastbound entrance ramps from Kaley Avenue and Michigan Street have changed. Changes include:The eastbound I-4 exit ramp to South Street, currently combined with the eastbound I-4 exit to State Road 408, is shifting into its final alignment as soon as Saturday morning. The eastbound I-4 entrance ramp from Michigan Street will close as soon as Friday. Drivers wanting to access eastbound I-4 will need to use the new temporary entrance ramp to eastbound I-4 from Kaley Avenue scheduled to open Saturday morning.

I-4 construction shifts busy exit ramp into final configurationPublished: February 24, 2020, 10:29 amConstruction crews shifted a busy Orlando Interstate 4 exit ramp into its final configuration for the I-4 Ultimate Project, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Construction crews are closing a busy Orlando Interstate 4 on-ramp for at least six months to build new lanes for the I-4 Ultimate Project. Starting as soon as 10 p.m. Sunday, the I-4 westbound entrance ramp from Colonial Drive will be shut down. After the ramp closes, drivers will be directed south on Hughey Avenue for about a mile to the westbound on-ramp at South Street. The WB I-4 entrance ramp from Colonial Dr. is scheduled to close for six months as soon as 10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2. In addition to the closure, Colonial Drive under I-4 will also close between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Feb. 2.

Cole Vanthof said he tries his best to avoid I-4, but he said he needed to use the interstate and didn't realize he couldn't get on I-4 westbound at Lee Road. RELATED: I-4 Ultimate to close Fairbanks Avenue off-ramp through WednesdayPolice are also preventing drivers from using the entrance ramp onto the interstate. The ramp is shut down over the weekend as a temporary shift goes into place on westbound I-4 between Lee Road and Fairbanks Avenue. They are closing the Lee Road on-ramp through Monday morning and the Fairbanks Avenue off-ramp through at least Wednesday. This marks the latest lane shift and closures as part of the I-4 Ultimate Project, which will expand 21 miles of the interstate.

Drivers sick of the construction on I-4 who might be thinking they'll get some relief in 2021, when the I-4 Ultimate project is expected to be complete, should know there is more to come,...

Officials with the Florida Department of Transportation and the I-4 Ultimate Project said the eastbound I-4 on-ramp from Universal Boulevard will close for five months beginning at 2 a.m. Monday. The closure will allow construction crews to continue building the new I-4 and Kirkman Road interchange as part of the I-4 Ultimate Project. [MAP: Check alternate routes available during closure using the map below]Drivers will now have to follow detours around the closure and enter I-4 eastbound from Kirkman Road. Motorists traveling northbound on Universal Boulevard to eastbound I-4 will continue north on Universal Boulevard, turn right onto Major Boulevard, turn right onto caravan Court, turn right onto International Drive, turn right onto Kirkman Road and then follow the signs to the eastbound I-4 on-ramp. Motorists traveling southbound on Universal Boulevard to eastbound I-4 will continue south on Universal Boulevard, turn left onto International Drive, turn left onto Kirkman Road, and then follow the signs to the eastbound I-4 on-ramp.