Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) crews kicked off 2026 with great momentum at the Interstate 4 (I-4) and Sand Lake Road (State Road (S.R.) 482) improvement project, completing placement of new bridge beams over Sand Lake Road in the I-4 median.

On the nights of January 17-21, crews used cranes to place 10 beams, each measuring 63 inches tall and more than 140 feet long. They placed 10 additional new beams for the bridge on February 4 and 5. The beams were set on the concrete walls on each side of Sand Lake Road.

The new bridge is starting to come together with a total of 20 beams over Sand Lake Road, 10 in each direction. Crews placed support structures to help stabilize the beams. With the base structure in place, crews placed deck pans and overhang supports before pouring the concrete bridge decks.

The deck pours, which began earlier this week, are among the final stages of bridge construction. Crews will pour over 700 cubic yards of new concrete for the bridge. The bridge deck will provide the foundation for a segment of the new westbound I-4 Express road surface.

Crews are also extending westbound I-4 Express over Central Florida Parkway with another new bridge in the median of I-4. This bridge will require two beams in each direction of I-4 for a total of four. Crews completed bridge demolition in January, and beam setting is expected to take place in March.

Once completed, the I-4 Express extension will feature two barrier-separated westbound express lanes extending from the current I-4 Express endpoint at Kirkman Road (S.R. 435) to just west of Sand Lake Road. The two barrier-separated lanes will then transition to a single, buffer-separated westbound express lane. When complete, the new westbound stretch of I-4 Express will extend from west of Sand Lake Road to west of S.R. 536.

For more information on improvements at the I-4 and Sand Lake Road interchange, visit I4Beyond.com/SandLake.