ORLANDO, Fla. — Construction crews have made significant progress Wednesday in the dismantling of unstable scaffolding on a downtown Orlando building at 222 South Orange Avenue after it prompted evacuations and road closures in the downtown area last week.

Blocks of downtown streets have been closed for almost two weeks because of concerns over the unstable scaffolding.

Crews began tearing the down scaffolding last week and have removed the most unstable parts that left holes in the side of a building along South Orange Avenue.

"So far, we have executed a controlled plan to dismantle the top seven stories of scaffolding along Orange Avenue primarily using cranes, which allowed us to safely pull the remaining lower sections into a predetermined safety zone today," said a spokesperson for Balfour Beatty, the construction company  doing the work.

Workers are now removing debris from the area, including the Orange Avenue roadway, the spokesperson said.

Balfour Beatty's goal is to complete the dismantling of the scaffolding by midweek next week, the spokesperson said.

Some nearby businesses have been closed for almost two weeks after city officials became aware of the unstable scaffolding.

According to the Balfour Beatty spokesperson, crew noticed the scaffolding was unstable on Aug. 9 and began taking steps to stabilize it as they worked on a plan to take it down.

“We are also working closely with the local authorities and appreciate their continued support as we work towards timely resolution. The affected area will remain secured until operations are complete. Balfour Beatty is committed to the safety of the public and the project area and will continue to work diligently with local authorities to ensure impacted areas and affected businesses can resume normal operation as soon as possible.”