And slicing through the central part of the state is Interstate 4, the highway connecting Tampa to Orlando.

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The campaign announced that Obama will spend several days next week in Tampa, Florida -- a spot along the Interstate 4 corridor that is considered a crucial swing vote region for both candidates -- prepping for Friday's first presidential debate.

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That leaves the battle for Florida heavily contested in a handful of counties in the middle of the state: a region often referred to as the I-4 corridor after Interstate-4, which runs from the Tampa Bay region in the west through Orlando in the inland centre to Daytona Beach on the east coast.

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The bus had about 50 evacuees from New Orleans on board when the crash occurred about 4 p.m. on Interstate 49 northbound, said Opelousas, Louisiana, police Lt.

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Border Patrol officers originally spotted the white Ford Excursion around 4:30 a.m. off the side of Interstate 8 in western Pinal County, about 60 miles south of Phoenix.

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