Driving at Disney World Just Got More Complicated

As both tourists arriving via car and Central Florida locals alike know, arriving at Disney World via car can be a frustrating experience thanks to the massive congestion that builds up on Interstate 4 (I-4) near the entrance to the resort complex.

Welcome to Disney World!

Recently, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) launched a construction project to add lanes to that section of I-4, and potentially ease the congestion of the area, according to The Orlando Sentinel. However, the construction timeline may mean things get worse before they get better.

Beginning in mid-February 2025, phased overnight closures began along a roughly 7-mile stretch near Disney Springs. The first eastbound lane closed at 8 PM and reopened at 7 AM the next morning, while the second closed at 10 PM and reopened at 5 AM. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, these overnight closures will continue each day for the foreseeable future.

The overall goals of the project are to add additional lanes in each direction, construct wider entrance and exit ramps at the ChampionsGate interchange, and “lay the groundwork for the Moving I-4 Forward Program’s five larger segments that will widen the highway from six lanes to up to 12 lanes by adding general-use and express lanes, reconstruct ramps at interchanges, add new connections, resurface the road and widen the shoulders.”

Entrance to Orange Garage

The overall FDOT Moving Florida Forward project, which was announced by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2024, aims to “quickly reduce congestion on a stretch of crucial highway that sees over 140,000 vehicles per day.”

According to Keith Slater, Moving I-4 Forward’s program director, “Moving I-4 Forward is a first-of-its-kind program, changing the way the transportation industry delivers projects. Our team is committed to innovating and implementing ideas that get results faster so that the community can spend less time in traffic and more time doing what they love.”

©FDOT

FDOT expects the full project to take about a decade to complete. However, the agency plans to ease the burden of construction by converting the shoulders of the affected areas of I-4 into an extra lane

According to FDOT’s Michael Richardson, “With that area already having a shoulder, we’re taking that shoulder and we’re turning it into a lane. It really is just milling and paving that we’re having to do so that we’re able to get that additional lane done quickly. When it comes to construction you often hear terms like ‘it tends to get worse before it gets better.’ What we’re doing by adding that congestion relief lane is that we’re trying to make things better as we’re improving things.”

Traffic heading into Disney World

A massive, years-long construction project has begun on a section of Florida’s I-4 close to Disney World property which should, if all goes according to plan, eventually ease congestion in the area. Stay tuned to AllEars for more updates!