MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – UPDATE, 6:00 a.m.: Traffic has cleared up substantially along Interstate 75 southbound. A check of Florida 511 at 5:53 a.m. shows traffic flowing in the area that was backed up for miles just an hour ago.

ORIGINAL, 5:19 a.m.: Early morning drivers on Interstate 75 are finding their travels coming to a screeching halt.

The back-up is in Marion County in the southbound lanes.

An image from the state’s traffic camera near mile marker 343 shows traffic stacked up just before 5 a.m. on Friday. Courtesy: FL511

Just before 5 a.m. on Friday, live cameras on Florida 511, the state’s real-time traffic reporting system, shows a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam around mile marker 343.

The website attributes the tie-up to scheduled construction in the area which began before 9 p.m. on Thursday.

The site says two right lanes are blocked and indicates the traffic is stacked up for roughly four miles.

It’s not clear how long the construction will last. Avoid the area if you don’t want to get caught in it.

This is a developing story. We’ll monitor the progress and update the status. Check back frequently.