i-4 Ultimate
 

August 2018

 
IN THIS UPDATE
* Colonial Dr. from Hughey Ave. to Orange Ave.
Closing Weekend of Aug. 24 for Bridge Work
* Changes Coming for Motorists on Eastbound I-4 Near College Park
* New Eastbound Maitland Blvd. Traffic Pattern Coming
* Take a Virtual Test Drive of I-4 Ultimate
* Spotlight Employee: Phil Hernandez
 
 
 

Colonial Dr. from Hughey Ave. to
Orange Ave. Closing Weekend of
Aug. 24 for Bridge Work

 

Colonial Drive (State Road 50) between Hughey Avenue and Orange Avenue is closing the weekend of August 24, as crews place new bridge beams on a new structure for eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4).

The closure begins at 10 p.m. on Friday, August 24, and is scheduled to reopen by Sunday evening, August 26. The closure and safety measures are needed for both the traveling public and crews constructing a new eastbound I-4 bridge over Colonial Drive.

Local access will be provided to businesses and residences between Garland Avenue and Orange Avenue throughout the weekend. The intersection of Garland Avenue and Colonial Drive also will be closed at this time, along with both Interstate 4 entrance ramps at the interchange.

Drivers can use Amelia Street as a detour under I-4. The eastbound and westbound I-4 entrance ramps near Amelia Street just south of the Colonial Drive interchange will remain open as an option for motorists in addition to on-ramps from Ivanhoe Boulevard.

View or download a handout detailing the closures and detours for the Colonial Drive and I-4 interchange at: https://fdot.tips/colonial.

 
 
 
 

Changes Coming for Motorists on Eastbound I-4 Near College Park

A temporary exit ramp from eastbound I-4 to Princeton Street is scheduled to open next month.
 

Eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4) ramps between Colonial Drive and Princeton Street will be moving to newly constructed roadways and bridges next month.

As soon as late September, the eastbound I-4 exit to Princeton Street (Exit 85) is shifting nearly 2 miles sooner. The new exit ramp will begin near the intersection of Marks Street and Garland Avenue. Motorists will continue over Lake Ivanhoe on newly constructed bridges before exiting at Princeton Street.

The eastbound I-4 entrance ramps from Garland Avenue/Colonial Drive (State Road 50) and Ivanhoe Boulevard will also feed into this long ramp. Motorists entering eastbound I-4 from these two locations will continue over Lake Ivanhoe on the new bridges before merging with mainline traffic near New Hampshire Street.

These new ramp configurations are temporary, but necessary, so I-4 Ultimate crews can continue building the new eastbound I-4 travel lanes. As more of the eastbound I-4 lanes, bridges and ramps are completed between Colonial Drive and Maitland Boulevard (State Road 414), motorists should expect more of these traffic shifts in the coming months.

The I-4 Ultimate Project has several avenues for motorists to learn about upcoming traffic shifts:

  • Sign up for the I-4 Ultimate Advance Construction Alert System to receive text or email alerts about lane, ramp or road closures.
  • Follow @i4Ultimate on Twitter to see weekly closures and detours planned on the corridor.
  • Subscribe to I-4 Ultimate newsfeed to learn about upcoming major construction activities by subscribing directly to the website’s newsfeed to receive an email when news is posted online.
 
 
 
 

New Eastbound Maitland Blvd. Traffic Pattern Coming

Crews are preparing to shift some traffic onto the new elevated lanes of eastbound Maitland Boulevard next month.
 

A traffic shift to the new elevated lanes of eastbound Maitland Boulevard (State Road 414) is scheduled to open as soon as next month.

The shift will open a temporary configuration of eastbound Maitland Boulevard. Lanes on the elevated roadway will access a new ramp to eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4). There will be two ramps to the elevated lanes: one just beyond Maitland Summit Boulevard and one just after Keller Road.

The remainder of eastbound Maitland Boulevard traffic will stay at ground level for access to local roads and westbound I-4. During this phase, left turns from eastbound Maitland Boulevard to northbound Keller Road will be temporarily prohibited to allow for crews to safely continue overhead bridge construction. Access to Lake Destiny Road from eastbound Maitland Boulevard will be eliminated in this phase and will not return in the final configuration.

Motorists looking to access northbound Keller Road or Lake Destiny Road, north of Maitland Boulevard, can use Maitland Summit Boulevard as an alternate route. Motorists can use Keller Road to Southhall Lane to access Lake Destiny Road, south of Maitland Boulevard.

Please visit or bookmark I4Ultimate.com/EB414 to keep up to date with the upcoming changes to eastbound Maitland Boulevard.

 
 
 
 

Take a Virtual Test Drive of I-4 Ultimate

 

The complete reconstruction of Interstate 4 (I-4) is providing countless improvements along the 21-mile corridor of the I-4 Ultimate project. Among the construction barrels and heavy machinery, it can be difficult for motorists to envision the safety and traffic-flow benefits of the completed I-4 interchanges and travel lanes.

The I-4 Ultimate project recently began building 3-D digital models of several interchanges that will immerse motorists in a realistic drive down the completed corridor so drivers can preview the new traffic movements on roads that are being completely transformed. The first produced animation using the new 3-D models depicts how motorists will be able to exit eastbound I-4 to Maitland Boulevard or Sandspur Road when all improvements have been built. Watch the video

In addition to the animation videos of the I-4 Ultimate project, the 3-D models also provide the opportunity to capture high-definition renderings. Renderings of the Maitland Boulevard (State Road 414) intersections at Lake Destiny Road, Keller Road and Maitland Summit Boulevard were recently created to show local businesses how these intersections will function more efficiently when work is completed.

FDOT creates the 3-D models using a collection of engineering plans, scenes from Google Earth, aerial photography and topographic maps.

In addition to several interchanges on the I-4 Ultimate project, FDOT is producing 3-D models for several design segments of the I-4 Beyond the Ultimate project. Subscribe to the I-4 Ultimate and Beyond YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/i4ultimate so you can be notified when new 3-D model videos are released.

 
 
 
 

Spotlight Employee: Phil Hernandez
Construction Equipment Manager on I-4 Ultimate Project


When Phil Hernandez takes inventory, he’s not adding up pushpins and paper clips; he’s counting heavy equipment. And finding ways to keep up with all the powerful machinery that’s rebuilding Interstate 4 (I-4) is a big job full of multiple tasks.

As Equipment Manager, Hernandez is responsible for tracking the positions, usage and maintenance of 1,500 pieces of equipment, including 49 cranes and an assortment of earthmovers, bulldozers, front-end loaders, backhoes, pile drivers, graders, attenuator trucks, concrete milling machines and street sweepers.

The manager, who has 30 years’ experience in the construction field also coordinates, approves and reviews all crane location plans, including the complicated lifts that often occur in tight quarters and require extra planning to maintain safety and efficiency.

While conferring with younger or less experienced managers and workers, Hernandez also mentors those who need his help. He loves talking with his fellow employees while building the relationships needed to sustain good teamwork. With all of those duties, what constitutes a good day on the job for this equipment manager?

“Being out in the field where the work is being built, meeting with employees, addressing any of their concerns and furthering their development,” said Hernandez, who works for SGL – the joint construction project of Skanska, Granite and Lane.

With equipment inspections, training, employee onboarding and employee retention among the items also on his plate, Hernandez does not have a lot of spare time. But he enjoys spending it with family or getting some exercise.

No surprise that he also uses some of that time to think about ways “to further develop employees on the I-4 Ultimate Project.”

In a way, he’s following a time-honored tradition in the construction trade. “I have had great mentors over the years, and I was trained to always ‘Train my Replacement,’” Hernandez said. “This is what I love to do!”