Thousands of drivers will see a major change to one of Central Florida’s most congested areas.

As construction crews start work on changes to a major I-4 interchange in Orlando this week, travelers in the area should expect a new traffic pattern.

If you drive along Interstate 4 by the attractions, you know it's likely you will hit traffic.

FDOT announced updates to “Moving Florida Forward,” what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed in January and later saw approved by the state Legislature as a way to ease traffic congestion in Central Florida by injecting $4 billion from the General Revenue Surplus into local infrastructure projects.

Drivers said for the most part everyone followed the marked exit and entrance signs and traffic flowed smoothly.

Trooper Steve says the purpose of these lanes is to provide drivers with an option so they can make the choice if they don’t want to sit with normal traffic.

A driver speeding at 101 mph in the new Express lanes on Interstate 4 was one of 77 people issued speeding tickets in the first weekend toll lanes were open, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The new I-4 Express lanes opened Saturday morning and the Florida Department of Transportation is warning drivers they could take some getting used to.

Drivers will not be charged to access I-4 Express lanes for the first five days of operations.

All entrances and exits to the I-4 Express tolling lanes are now marked.

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

It’s been seven years since construction began on a key construction project for Interstate 4.

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

A colorful new sculpture was celebrated on Friday as the newest art installation along Interstate 4.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Crews are on track to complete the I-4 Ultimate project by the end of the year, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. FDOT said this past December, crews finished the final alignment of general-use lanes. This has increased safety on the corridor, drivers will experience fewer lane closures and lane shifts in 2021, according to FDOT. [TRENDING: Woman arrested in hit-run involving sheriff | Gov: Fla. won’t require ‘vaccine passports’ | Girl missing for weeks]AdTransportation officials said crews will finish managed lanes in 2021. Drivers can view a construction schedule and lane closure schedule at this link from the FDOT.

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.

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.

I-4 on ramp to close for six monthsPublished: February 2, 2020, 6:45 pmThe westbound entrance ramp from Colonial Drive to I-4 will be closed for six months.

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.

As another year of I-4 construction begins, relief is comingPublished: January 28, 2020, 6:37 pmAs the I-4 Ultimate project enters its fifth year of construction, many motorists are ready for work on the 21 miles of interstate improvements to be complete.

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.

Many drivers missed the latest shift at Maitland Boulevard causing backups along I-4 between Lee Road and State Road 436 as motorists attempted to make a U-Turn at SR 436, according to FDOT. Beginning Wednesday morning, drivers exiting eastbound I-4 to westbound Maitland Boulevard (exit 90B) will begin that shift approximately a quarter of a mile sooner, coupled with the exit point to eastbound Maitland Boulevard (exit 90A). The new combined eastbound exit ramp splits to provide access to both directions of Maitland Boulevard. Eastbound I-4 exit is now in its final configuration and access to eastbound and westbound Maitland Boulevard will remain combined on the same ramp. However, be on the lookout for additional shifts of I-4 ramps at the Maitland interchange, according to FDOT.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The I-4 Ultimate is on target to be completed in 2021, the original date of completion, and the massive project remains on budget, state transportation officials said Thursday. The announcement from the Florida Department of Transportation comes amid a claim from I-4 Mobility Partners, the concessionaire of the project, seeking more money and time to complete the project. "The department is in the process of reviewing this claim," FDOT spokesman Steve Olson said in a statement. Olson said FDOT is working with its construction partners, and I-4 Mobility is implementing mitigation strategies to reduce impacts. "No time extensions or financial considerations have been granted to the contractor from FDOT," Olson said.