With construction on the Maitland Boulevard interchange at Interstate 4 (I-4) slated for completion in three years, construction activities are full steam ahead with multiple traffic pattern changes scheduled for the area.

Construction to elevate Maitland Boulevard over surface streets creating a free-flow interchange with I-4 requires more than 20 traffic pattern shifts. The first traffic shift occurred last week. The long-term traffic pattern shifted eastbound travel lanes on Maitland Boulevard to the median for approximately three-quarters of a mile between Gateway Drive and Keller Road. Download the handout.

Also as a result of elevating Maitland Boulevard over surface streets, Pembrook Drive is permanently closing at north Keller Road on August 31. This closure will allow Keller Road to be realigned at Maitland Boulevard. More info here.

At the beginning of September, the westbound lanes of Maitland Boulevard east of the I-4 interchange, will shift to the median. The long-term traffic pattern is less than an eighth of a mile near Hope Road. In addition, the Hope Road entrance and exit ramps to and from Maitland Boulevard are being shifted to the median.

Motorists will continue to encounter lane and ramp closures during non-peak travel times in the Maitland area. Stay up-to-date on I-4 Ultimate construction by signing up for weekly alerts at I4Ultimate.com.

The Florida Department of Transportation is hosting its fourth installment of public meeting open houses for the I-4 Ultimate project on Wednesday, September 16, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The public information meeting will be held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort, located at 8001 International Drive. To travel to the meeting location, take Interstate 4 (I-4) and exit at Sand Lake Road. Travel east on Sand Lake Road about one tenth of a mile past the International Drive intersection. Turn right into the resort complex, the conference center is on your immediate right. Parking is complimentary.

The I-4 Ultimate public meeting open house is an opportunity for residents and business owners in the community to learn more about the project, view area maps and displays. Project staff will be available to answer questions.

The public information meetings began in March as the project team hosted an open house in downtown Orlando at the Orange County School Board. The public meeting was held in May at the RDV Sportsplex in Maitland. Last month, the I-4 Ultimate project hosted the third public meeting at the Orlando Science Center. The four stops of the open houses represent the four distinct areas of the project:

• Attractions: Kirkman Road to John Young Parkway
• Downtown: Orange Blossom Trail to Colonial Drive
• Ivanhoe: Ivanhoe Boulevard to Kennedy Boulevard
• Altamonte: Maitland Boulevard to State Road 434

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status. Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact Jennifer Smith, FDOT Title VI Coordinator by phone at 386-943-5367, or via email at jennifer.smith2@dot.state.fl.us. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact us by using the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (Voice).

For more information about the public meeting, contact David Parks, I-4 Ultimate Public Information Officer, at 844-ULT-INFO (844-858-4636) or DavidParks@I4Ultimate.com.

The I-4 Ultimate project team is helping deserving students start the school year right.

At the project’s four area offices and its central hub office in Maitland, many members of the I-4 Ultimate team donated thousands of supplies, including notebooks, crayons, glue sticks, pencils, pens and markers, as well as a selection of personal hygiene provisions. The supplies were delivered on Aug. 18.

“As many students in our community were gearing up for the new school year, our SGL Constructors team came together to help equip these kids with the school supplies they will need,” said Rodney Renix SGL Constructors DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) Compliance Manager for the I-4 Ultimate project. “This is an exciting time for these students, and we are delighted to make a contribution towards their success this school year.”

The four schools – Hungerford Elementary School, Nap Ford Community School, Pineloch Elementary School and Catalina Elementary School – each received more than 1,100 items. These schools are located near the heart of the I-4 Ultimate project, which stretches 21 miles from west of Kirkman Road in Orange County to east of State Road 434 in Seminole County.

The scope and services of the I-4 Ultimate project affects and shapes the larger Central Florida community. Project partners believe that being involved in the school drive helps extend the team’s community involvement beyond the construction of I-4.

“In construction, we can’t do our jobs without the right tools, so it is rewarding to our team to give the students of this community a few of the tools that they will need to excel in school,” said Jon Walker, SGL Constructors Program Project Manager for the I-4 Ultimate project.

In the interest of maintaining safety and keeping traffic flowing, drivers should be aware of the state’s “Move It” laws (Florida Statutes 316.027, 316.061, 316.063, 316.071)

There is a something of a popular misconception that police or insurance companies will penalize you, if you move your damaged or disabled vehicle after an accident. That simply is not true.

Indeed, Florida law requires that motorists involved in an accident make every reasonable effort to move their vehicles safely out of the roadway. It will help you stay out of harm’s way and keep traffic moving behind you.

The Florida Highway Patrol recommends:

• If there are injuries, call 911 immediately and wait for emergency personnel.
• If everyone is okay and their vehicles can be safely moved, then get the cars or trucks out of the roadway.
• Even if there are no injuries, call 911 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
• Exchange driver, vehicle and insurance information with the other driver, and report the incident as instructed by law enforcement and your insurance company.

Moving damaged vehicles off the road not only minimizes traffic congestion, but it also lowers the risk of subsequent crashes or injuries.

Remember that traffic incidents cause more congestion than overcrowded highways. And between 13 percent and 33 percent of crashes are caused by earlier incidents.

Don’t panic if your vehicle runs out of gas, has a flat or breaks down in the I-4 Ultimate work area, you can receive free help from the Road Ranger service patrol by calling the Florida Highway Patrol at *FHP (*347).

In the I-4 Ultimate work zone, Road Ranger service is operated by I-4 Mobility Partners and their operations and maintenance provider – Infrastructure Corporation of America (ICA).

Click here to print a handy fact sheet.