ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — If you’re not careful, you could miss your exit on Interstate 4 Monday.
Drivers north of downtown Orlando are in for a big change on I-4 that’s going to take some getting used to.
Early Saturday morning, the exit from I-4 east to Princeton Street was replaced with a new exit that drivers will encounter two miles sooner than the old one.
The change impacts people trying to get to Princeton Street, Florida Hospital and the Ivanhoe area.
I-4 Ultimate crews shifted the exit to open more space in the work zone to build the new I-4 over the current I-4.
Get breaking traffic alerts with the free WFTV news app
"We've got signs well ahead that will start notifying drivers about this change well south of SR-408," said I-4 Ultimate spokesperson Dave Parks.
This weekend’s shift is a sign of bigger things to come. By early next year, crews want to use the new elevated lanes to get drivers to Par Street, Fairbanks Avenue and Lee Road without driving on the current interstate.
Traffic Tracker: See delays & backups in real time
“We are looking at the end of this year or early 2019 for drivers to head from SR-50 all the way to Lee Road on that separate construction off to the right,” Parks said.
Officials from I-4 Ultimate said don't rely on your GPS to remind you. Changes won't register until 30 to 60 days after the traffic pattern changes, officials said.
We’ve been checking all morn. The new Princeton St exit, located 2 miles sooner, has had very little traffic, so we checked the next exit at Par St. and found a backup of cars including a @FloridaHospital shuttle making a right to get to the hospital. Are drivers confused? 🧐🤔 pic.twitter.com/obkoMOb4rZ
— Q McCray (@QMcCrayWFTV) September 24, 2018
Watch video below: A look at what the new traffic pattern looks like
Cox Media Group