ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation has halted some work on the I-4 Ultimate project and set crews to secure construction equipment along the corridor in preparation for Hurricane Irma.
Many with homes near the interstate are eyeing heavy pipes, rebar and other debris along the dirt piles at the construction sites, as is College Park resident Anda Arial.
Arial’s home butts up against the interstate amid many piles of dirt, which she sees run off into her yard during summer storms.
“Again that's higher ground, and so the water and sand kind of go there,” she said.
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A worker at the construction site told Channel 9's Jeff Deal workers intend to flatten the dirt piles.
A spokesperson for the I-4 Ultimate Project said crews have stopped all work requiring lane closures.
Workers will monitor the corridor before, during and after the storm to find any problem areas that need attention, the spokesperson said.
Arial said she’s seen some of that kind of work being done, since crews installed a new drainage system near her home.
She’s hoping the efforts have been enough to prevent problems once Hurricane Irma screams into town.
“I have noticed they are trying to clean some of the things up, but with this type of storm I don't know now much of an effect it will have,” she said.