When the I-4 Ultimate Construction Project breaks ground later this month, drivers will likely bail from the highway onto side streets or opt for the SunRail.
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The Florida Department of Transportation says that could be a huge problem. US 17/92 is expected to be a popular alternative for drivers looking for detours from the highway.
However, when 17/92 crosses underneath the SunRail near Lee Road, the overpass is so low, that trucks may get stuck underneath it.
Currently, the railroad bridge sits 13 feet 6 inches, or 13 feet 8 inches high, depending on whether you are traveling North or Southbound. The average semi truck ranges from 13 feet to 13 feet 6 inches, but there are exceptions, and those exceptions could create some serious complications for traffic.
"It could potentially stall both SunRail and alternate route commuters," said Steve Olson, spokesman for the FDOT. "So to fix the problem, we are installing lasers that will warn drivers if their trucks are too big before they make it all the way to the bridge."
Traveling Northbound, the lasers are located 1550 feet from the railroad bridge, and in the southbound lanes, the lasers sit 1,390 feet from the bridge. Once the laser is tripped, a caution sign will light up and warn drivers that they are too tall and need to find an alternate route.
If drivers miss the first low-clearance sign, there will be one final sign within 100 feet of the bridge on both sides.