i-4 Ultimate
 

September 2018

 
IN THIS UPDATE
* Eastbound I-4 Exit Ramp to Princeton Street Moving Nearly 2 Miles Sooner
* New Traffic Patterns Introduced on Maitland Boulevard
* Colonial Drive Interchange Reaching New Milestones
* Bridge and Ramp Work Continues at S.R. 408 and I-4 Interchange
* Employee Spotlight: Jonathan Williams
 
 
 

Eastbound I-4 Exit Ramp to Princeton Street Moving Nearly 2 Miles Sooner

 

Motorists heading to College Park, the Florida Hospital campus or other nearby areas accessible via Princeton Street may experience changes to their route as soon as September 22.

The eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4) exit ramp to Princeton Street (Exit 85) is shifting nearly 2 miles sooner. The temporary exit ramp will merge with the entrance ramp from Colonial Drive (State Road 50)/Garland Avenue before continuing over Lake Ivanhoe on new bridges adjacent to eastbound I-4. View or download a handout that illustrates these new ramp configurations.

The entrance point for motorists heading to eastbound I-4 from Colonial Drive will be just before New Hampshire Street. This temporary configuration allows crews more room to construct permanent eastbound I-4 lanes and accommodate future traffic shifts.

The function of this road will be similar to the existing combined eastbound I-4 entrance ramp from Princeton Street and the eastbound I-4 exit ramps to Par Street and Fairbanks Avenue.

Another similar shift on eastbound I-4 will occur as soon as early October, and will change access points from Fairbanks Avenue and to Lee Road. Please bookmark, check or visit i4ultimate.com/ebi4 for upcoming access changes to interchanges between downtown Orlando and Maitland.

Modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving through the work zone.

 
 
 
 

New Traffic Patterns Introduced on Maitland Boulevard

 

On September 15, the I-4 Ultimate project marked a major milestone in its work on Maitland Boulevard (State Road 414).

Motorists who have yet to travel through the interchange will notice considerable changes to access points to and from eastbound Maitland Boulevard.

A portion of the new elevated lanes opened up to drivers continuing on eastbound Maitland Boulevard or to eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4). The temporary configuration brings six distinct changes for motorists, including:

  1. Access eastbound I-4 or continue on eastbound Maitland Boulevard by using one of two new on-ramps near Maitland Summit Boulevard and Keller Road.
  2. Remain at ground level to access westbound I-4.
  3. Left turns onto Keller Road are prohibited.
  4. Left and right turns onto Lake Destiny Road are prohibited.
  5. No access from Lake Destiny Road to Maitland Boulevard or eastbound I-4.
  6. New traffic signal at Hope Road and Maitland Boulevard.

This temporary configuration will remain in effect for about one year while crews construct the remainder of the eastbound Maitland Boulevard bridge over Keller Road and complete ramps at the interchange.

 
 
 
 

Colonial Drive Interchange Reaching New Milestones

 

I-4 Ultimate construction at the Colonial Drive (State Road 50) and Interstate 4 (I-4) interchange continues to improve mobility.

A new permanent ramp from Colonial Drive to westbound I-4 is scheduled to open as soon as October 8. This new ramp will replace the existing loop ramp. The new ramp is located at the southeast corner of the Colonial Drive and Hughey Avenue intersection.

The redesign of this busy interchange involves many significant changes that will create a more efficient interchange. One of these changes opened in June 2017. The new eastbound I-4 on-ramp from Garland Avenue, just north of Colonial Drive, provides access to eastbound I-4 for motorists traveling in either direction of Colonial Drive as well as those on Garland Avenue.

Future changes at the interchange that will improve mobility include a new frontage road connecting Ivanhoe Boulevard and Colonial Drive and a Texas U-turn from Garland Avenue to Hughey Avenue.

For a handout detailing all the future improvements to the I-4 and Colonial Drive interchange, visit https://fdot.tips/colonial.

 
 
 
 

Bridge and Ramp Work Continues at S.R. 408 and I-4 Interchange

 

Progress continues on the complete reconstruction of the Interstate 4 (I-4) and State Road 408 (S.R. 408) interchange, as part of the I-4 Ultimate project.

Work includes adding and rebuilding several bridges and ramps. Crews have already set some of the girders for three structures leading to westbound S.R. 408, including two major bridges from eastbound I-4 and one span from westbound I-4. Concrete deck work continues on all three structures.

Construction in the heart of downtown Orlando requires intricate planning that often necessitates overnight road and ramp closures for the safety of motorists and construction crews. In October, nighttime closures are being planned to set girders for new S.R. 408 bridges.

The I-4 Ultimate Project has several avenues for motorists to learn about upcoming nighttime closures on S.R. 408:

 
 
 
 

Employee Spotlight: Jonathan Williams
Quality Assurance Technician


As part of the quality assurance team, Jonathan Williams reviews a wide variety of construction work that helps keep the big project moving forward smoothly and safely.

He checks on the steel reinforcement used in concrete, the placement of bridge girders, the dimensions of forms used to hold wet concrete in place, the strength of hardened concrete and the density of soils that support highway structures. He also looks over the process of building roadway decks on bridges and overpasses.

While those duties extend from the soil at the bottom of foundations to the steel at the top of pedestrian bridges, one approach ties them all together. “We want it built to the highest standards,” said Williams, who focuses on Area 4 (Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Longwood) of the I-4 Ultimate project. “After all, we are all going to be driving on I-4 Ultimate, and we’re all going to benefit from the improved roadway.”

Williams, who grew up in Mississippi, began his quality-control career there with Volkert – a transportation and infrastructure engineering services company that also is part of the I-4 Ultimate team. He later worked for the company in Tennessee on a bridge project and stayed with them to become part of the multiyear Interstate 4 (I-4) project that is reconstructing 21 miles of busy interstate in Central Florida.

As a quality assurance technician, he enjoys both the professional challenges of the large-scale project and the personal satisfaction of living in one city for an extended period while the work continues. “It’s pretty amazing to be part of a project this big,” Williams said. “And it’s great to find a project where you can stay in one place for a while.”

Whenever he can spare the time, he likes to unwind by going fishing.