$2B Orlando Highway Construction Project Halted After 5th Worker Death

A worker’s death has temporarily halted construction on a $2 billion highway project in downtown Orlando.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that the worker died Saturday when a beam fell off some equipment and struck him. A second worker was also hit by the beam and was being treated at a local hospital. Their identities were not immediately released.

The Sentinel reports the employee killed was the fifth worker who died since construction began in 2015 on the overhaul of central Florida’s busiest road. More than 160 injuries have been reported to federal authorities.

The accident halted work along a 21-mile section of Interstate 4 in downtown Orlando, said contractor SGL Constructors.

An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the fatal accident.