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I-4 Ultimate Releases New Advanced Construction Alert System

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I4Ultimate.com launched the newest version of its Advanced Construction Alert System giving users many more options including the ability to receive alerts by text messaging.

Sign up for alerts to stay informed about construction impacts. Version 2.0 features new choices for personalizing alerts:

  • Choose between three different alert messages (each available for email or text*): Hour-before reminder, daily 24-hour look ahead & weekly advance alerts
  • Choose between types of alerts, such as major changes and nightly closures on I-4
  • Choose specific areas or interchanges

“With advance construction alerts, drivers can make informed decisions about when and where to travel during I-4 Ultimate construction,” said David Parks, Public Information Officer for the I-4 Ultimate project. “Users are encouraged to customize their alerts to their daily commute– whether it’s the entire 21-mile corridor or a specific interchange.”

To ensure user preferences are correct, existing I4Ultimate.com alert subscribers should visit i4ultimate.com/unsubscribe to review their preferences.

* Prior to receiving text messages, users are required to opt-in by replying “YES” to the introductory message. Standard messaging and data rates may apply. Messaging frequency varies based on preferences.


I-4 Ultimate suspends interstate construction closures for holidays

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There will be no lane closures on the interstate for construction activities during the winter holidays from Wednesday, December 23, to Saturday, January 2.

The I-4 Ultimate project, which extends 21 miles from west of Kirkman Road to east of State Road 434, will be open to holiday traffic. Although no interstate construction closures are scheduled over the holidays, existing work zones will remain in effect and crews will continue to maintain travel lanes, straighten barrels and replace lights. Some closures are scheduled on surface streets from Monday, December 28, to Thursday, December 31. Motorists are reminded to use caution while traveling through work zones around barricades and equipment.

The Florida Department of Transportation encourages drivers to allow extra travel time and to use extra caution in existing work zones. Drivers are urged to make sure they buckle up, along with their passengers. FDOT and other safety agencies also ask drivers to obey speed limits, get adequate rest before traveling, avoid distractions and never drink and drive.

Drivers also are urged to be prepared for unscheduled closures due to accidents, disabled vehicles or other events. Motorists should be alert to changing weather conditions while traveling. Travelers can access Florida’s 511 service from cell phones, landlines, and online at www.FL511.com to receive updates on travel in the area.


Eastbound I-4 traffic shifts signal new phase in construction

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The first major traffic shifts on eastbound I-4 this month indicates construction is moving into a new phase.

The eastbound I-4 shifts near Lake Ivanhoe and Formosa Avenue opened up the first areas to allow crews to start rebuilding the existing eastbound lanes.

“Rebuilding the eastbound lanes is the first glimpse drivers will see of the new I-4 in the downtown area,” said David Parks, I-4 Ultimate Public Information Officer.

The eastbound I-4 traffic shift of about two-thirds of a mile near Lake Ivanhoe opened on Dec. 7. The eastbound I-4 traffic shift near Formosa Avenue is scheduled to open on Dec. 21. It is approximately one-third of a mile long.

Traffic shifts are necessary to provide safe work zones for crews while still maintaining the same number of interstate travels lanes that were available prior to the start of construction. The complexity of construction varies along the 21-mile I-4 Ultimate project. Available online is an overall strategy of traffic shift phases for the Ivanhoe area.

“Our goal is to protect the safety of motorists and workers while keeping traffic flowing smoothly and construction moving ahead,” Parks said.

For more information, including an up-to-date list of traffic shifts, visit I4Ultimate.com. Motorists are encouraged to sign up for project newsletters and route-specific alerts through the website to help make informed decisions about when and where to travel.


I-4 Stormwater Reuse Yields Big Benefits

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The recently completed City of Altamonte Springs-Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Integrated Reuse and Stormwater Treatment (A-FIRST) project has turned the reconstruction of Interstate 4 (I-4) into an opportunity to conserve water and protect the Little Wekiva River.

A partnership among FDOT, City of Altamonte Springs, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Johns River Water Management District and City of Apopka built the innovative project, which captures runoff water from I-4 and treats it for reuse in areas where it is needed for irrigation. The process creates a new supply of 4.5 million gallons of reclaimed water per day.

State and local officials, including U.S. Rep. John Mica, State Sen. David Simmons, State Rep. Bob Cortes and Altamonte Springs Mayor Patricia Bates, gathered at the treatment plant for a grand opening ceremony to congratulate the partners on a job well done.

“The impact of A-FIRST is enormous,” said Mayor Bates. “The City of Altamonte Springs will eliminate through A-FIRST the discharge of 31 tons of nitrogen and 14 tons of phosphorus [into] the Little Wekiva River every year.”

A-FIRST is tied to the I-4 Ultimate project, which is reconstructing 21 miles of I-4 in Orange and Seminole counties. A-FIRST eliminates the need for one of the retention ponds. Instead, water is pumped to a recommissioned treatment plant, cleaned, filtered, disinfected and distributed for reuse in Altamonte Springs and Apopka.

“The A-FIRST project was a win for the Florida Department of Transportation, a win for the City of Altamonte Springs, a win for the City of Apopka, and a win for the Wekiva River,” said Ferrell Hickson, FDOT’s District 5 Drainage Engineer.


The I-4 Ultimate project in bloom

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The I-4 Ultimate team recently received a pleasant surprise to start their workweek.

On Monday, November 16, the team began arriving at the Hub office in Maitland to find a beautiful display of flowers arranged as the I-4 Ultimate logo. The Infrastructure Corporation of America (ICA) team built and planted the display.

“This was a team effort from top to bottom,” said ICA’s Rob Dwyer, the project’s Quality Control Manager. “We were all excited about putting this project together as a gesture of goodwill and camaraderie from our office to theirs.”

The arrangement featured nearly 1,000 flowers, including dusty millers, begonias and New Guinea impatiens in a variety of colors. An I-4 road sign was placed at the top to complete the display. The ICA built the display frame first, and then waited until Saturday evening on November 14 to construct the display covertly as a surprise for the I-4 Ultimate team.

ICA is providing incident response and motorist assistance patrols throughout the corridor along with the operations and maintenance program during the I-4 Ultimate construction phase. It also shares routine maintenance responsibilities with the Construction Joint Venture during this phase. After construction, ICA will be the sole provider of operations and maintenance for the project.


Employee Spotlight: Krysten Wilkerson

KRYSTEN WILKERSON
Field Engineer
Resident of Altamonte Springs

It all started with a box of Lego blocks.

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When Krysten Wilkerson was about five, her family noticed how she liked building things, so they gave their little girl some Legos. She scooped up the plastic blocks, built a house and kept on going. Before long, she had assembled every example in the instruction book. Then she started creating her own designs – buildings, wheeled vehicles, nearly anything she could imagine.

Family members loved her creative drive, took photos of the results, and told each other: “Look, what she’s building today!”

Fast-forward 15 years and Wilkerson is still building. Now, though, she’s moved on to much bigger things such as helping to assemble the I-4 Ultimate project – the 21-mile reconstruction job that will improve safety and mobility in Central Florida.

“It was just the excitement of building something and completing it. That’s what landed me here,” said Wilkerson, who now is a lead Field Engineer on the I-4 Ultimate team. She’s also grateful for mentors who steered her toward a degree in construction management at Florida A&M University, where she graduated in 2014.

As she completes her first year on the job, the Altamonte Springs resident is enjoying a wide range of tasks, including overseeing the building of temporary retaining walls, writing daily work plans and developing archiving systems for contracts and other documents, and, of course, helping enforce safety precautions. Among lessons already learned: “You have to cultivate a team environment,” and “effective communication…helps resolve problems to keep the job moving.”

Beyond construction Wilkerson played basketball for her Fort Lauderdale high school team, earned national honors on the FAMU flag football team, and then there’s her sneaker collection. “I’m what you call a sneaker connoisseur.” If you doubt it, just ask her about those Jordan 16 Retros.


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).