"In the morning it's very stressful. A lot of traffic, sometimes accidents." That is Adi Zamir talking to Spectrum News 13 on May 2, 2026. Her family runs Krembo Café on Turkey Lake Road. She told the station that a drive from the airport that should take 20 to 25 minutes could stretch to 40 or 45 at peak hours.
She said it on the morning the Florida Department of Transportation opened the loop ramp at I-4 and Sand Lake Road. Almost six months later, that ramp is the part of the interchange project that changed everyday driving in Dr. Phillips the most. The work still scheduled through late 2027 is a different kind. Most of it happens on I-4 itself, in overnight closures, or along the edges of Turkey Lake Road.
The left turn that used to back everything up
FDOT spokesperson Britney Jones told Spectrum News 13 that about 115,000 vehicles move through the interchange every day, and she called it the busiest interchange in Central Florida. The problem she pointed to was one specific move: the left turn from westbound Sand Lake Road onto southbound Turkey Lake Road. FDOT said that turn caused major backups and carried a risk of T-bone crashes. The agency counted a little over 300 crashes at the interchange between January 1, 2021, and May 1, 2026.
That turn no longer exists. Drivers heading west on Sand Lake Road now take the loop ramp to reach Turkey Lake Road in either direction. Drivers on westbound I-4 at Exit 74A can choose Turkey Lake Road or Sand Lake Road directly. FDOT's I-4 Beyond project page says the loop ramp system gives a direct connection to Turkey Lake Road from both westbound Sand Lake Road and westbound I-4.
Steve Montiero, the former state trooper who now anchors traffic coverage for ClickOrlando, drove the new layout a few days after it opened. In his Trooper Steve on Patrol segment, he said a crash call at Sand Lake and Turkey Lake used to mean two things: the crash was probably serious, and getting there would take a while.
"One of the biggest changes is the new dedicated Turkey Lake Road ramp, which helps separate traffic and allows drivers heading toward Turkey Lake to avoid some of the congestion that used to build up around Sand Lake Road."
That is Montiero on ClickOrlando, May 7, 2026. He also said the change can help emergency responders get through the corridor faster.
The diamond came first, and it was two years earlier
The crisscross pattern on Sand Lake Road over I-4 is a diverging diamond interchange. In that design, lanes cross to the left side of the road at one signal and back to the right at the next, so drivers can turn left without cutting across oncoming traffic. The pattern is not a recent change. WESH reported that it took effect on March 9, 2024. In that same 2025 story, FDOT District 5 communications manager Tim Freed said the full benefit to traffic flow would be clearer once construction is finished.
Here is how the pieces line up, using FDOT's project pages along with the WESH and Spectrum News 13 reports:
| Milestone | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Construction begins on project 444315-1 | Complete | Spring 2023 |
| Diverging diamond traffic pattern on Sand Lake Road | In place | March 9, 2024 |
| Loop ramp to Turkey Lake Road | Open | May 2, 2026 |
| Westbound I-4 express lane, companion project 444315-3 | Under construction | Early 2027, estimated |
| Full interchange project 444315-1 | Under construction | Late 2027, estimated |
The two projects together cost $219,342,910.12 to build, according to FDOT's Central Florida Roads project page. Lane Construction Corp. is the contractor. Both completion dates are FDOT estimates. The agency also notes that the job is a design-build contract with design still in progress, so small refinements are expected.
What the remaining work looks like from the driver's seat
With the diamond and the loop ramp done, the rest of the project is mostly on the interstate. FDOT is rebuilding the I-4 general-use lanes west of Sand Lake Road. It is also adding two barrier-separated westbound express lanes that connect to the existing express lanes near Kirkman Road. West of Sand Lake, those lanes narrow to a single buffer-separated lane that ties in just west of Central Florida Parkway. The finished express lane will eventually reach west of S.R. 536, built in three separate projects.
Residents mostly see that work as closures after dark. October 2026 alone had two:
- Eastbound I-4 Exit 74A ramp to Sand Lake Road. It closed from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on October 14 for drainage repairs. The detour sent drivers to Exit 75A, north on Universal Boulevard, then south back to Sand Lake Road, according to I-4 Beyond's October 13 notice.
- The first eastbound I-4 Express entrance near Sand Lake Road. It closed from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. on October 19 and 20. Drivers used the express entrance west of Exit 79 at John Young Parkway, and the Turnpike and Grand National Drive direct connections stayed open, per I-4 Beyond's October 16 notice.
Overnight Apopka-Vineland Road closures under I-4 for setting bridge beams appeared in the same October 16 notice. Detours ran by way of Daryl Carter Parkway, Palm Parkway or S.R. 536. That matters for anyone in the west end of Dr. Phillips who uses Apopka-Vineland as a backup route.
Turkey Lake Road also has work left on its own. A construction update in MetroPlan Orlando's May 27, 2026 committee packet listed outside widening of Turkey Lake Road, force main work, installing signals and signs, and demolishing a bridge and walls over Sand Lake Road, all happening while the loop ramp opened. FDOT's own scope for 444315-1 includes added capacity on both Sand Lake Road and Turkey Lake Road. I-4 Beyond posts closures as they're scheduled, and its Sand Lake Road project page is the place to check before a late drive to the airport.
Where the ramp drops you now
The loop ramp makes the Turkey Lake Road stretch south of Sand Lake easier to reach, and it has its own errand and dinner stops.
Krembo Café is the Zamir family's restaurant. It serves breakfast, coffee, dairy dishes, pizza and desserts. The café's posted hours are Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Perkins American Food Co. at 7625 Turkey Lake Road is the brand's 3,500-square-foot flagship, which Orlando Weekly covered when it opened in March 2025. The menu was reworked and includes alcohol. FOX 35 reported all-day breakfast, bakery items, and new appetizer, burger and handheld sections.
Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake is a 183-acre lakeside park with its entrance at 3401 S. Hiawassee Road. Its hours change this weekend. October hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. From November through March, the park closes at 5 p.m., and it is closed December 24 and 25, per the City of Orlando park page. Entry is $5 per car, or $2 for a driver alone. The park has a fishing pier, disc golf, trails, playgrounds, boat rentals and camping. The city page currently lists the seasonal pool as closed. Family campsites cost $20 a night with partial hookup and $25 with full hookup, tax included.
The busiest food event on the other side of the interchange is this Sunday. The Rotary Club of Dr. Phillips Foundation holds its 19th annual A Taste of Dr. Phillips on November 1 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Dellagio Town Center, 7924-8075 Via Dellagio Way. Organizers list tastings from more than 20 Restaurant Row restaurants, plus wine, beer and cocktails. Live music comes from The Down Brothers. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., parking is free, the event is 21 and over, and Eventbrite lists tickets from $85 to $125. All proceeds go through the foundation to local charitable organizations.
If you own a home on the Turkey Lake side of Sand Lake Road and want to know how the new ramp, and the work still scheduled through 2027, might show up in your home's value, The Orlando Home Squad can walk you through it street by street. Start with a Free Home Valuation.
