i-4 Ultimate
 

October 2018

 
IN THIS UPDATE
* Eastbound I-4 Exit Ramp to Northbound Kirkman Road Shifts to Temporary Location
* Temporary Shifts Pave Way for Permanent I-4 Improvements Between Downtown Orlando and Maitland
* Kirkman Pedestrian Bridge Takes Big Step Forward Next Month
* A Look Ahead at the S.R. 434 and I-4 Interchange
* Employees Spotlight: Maintenance of Traffic Team
 
 
 

Eastbound I-4 Exit Ramp to Northbound Kirkman Road Shifts to Temporary Location

 

Motorists heading to northbound Kirkman Road from eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4) are learning a new traffic pattern.

On October 18, the current eastbound I-4 exit ramp to northbound Kirkman Road (Exit 75B) closed. Motorists traveling on eastbound I-4 can exit from the left side of eastbound I-4 to Grand National Drive. View or download a handout illustrating the new ramp.

The change is needed to allow workers to safely construct a new permanent exit ramp.

A new traffic signal on Grand National Drive controls traffic movements from the temporary eastbound I-4 exit. When the I-4 Ultimate project is completed, the ramps at Grand National Drive will support I-4 Express Lanes. The newly constructed eastbound I-4 exit ramp to northbound Kirkman Road is scheduled to reopen in spring 2019. While the temporary ramp exits on the left of eastbound I-4, the newly constructed exit ramp to northbound Kirkman Road will exit to the right.

More information about the eastbound I-4 exit to northbound Kirkman Road ramp closure and traffic shift is available at: i4ultimate.com/NBKirkman.

 
 
 
 

Temporary Shifts Pave Way for Permanent I-4 Improvements Between Downtown Orlando and Maitland

 

Motorists may feel like there are constant changes on the interstate as part of the I-4 Ultimate project, but each change brings that segment closer to its permanent configuration.

For example, in early October the eastbound I-4 exit ramp to Lee Road (State Road 423) shifted and combined with the eastbound I-4 entrance ramp from Fairbanks Avenue. When an interstate exit and entrance ramp share the same access road adjacent to the main highway, it may be called a collector-distributor road – or CD road.

CD road systems are already in place between Colonial Drive (State Road 50) and Princeton Street and between Princeton Street and Fairbanks Avenue.

It’s only by moving these ramps and creating the temporary CD roads that crews are able to keep traffic moving while they demolish the old ramps, complete bridge work and finally pave the roadways in their final location.

The following shifts are coming soon:

  • Shifting eastbound I-4 onto new, permanent lanes between Kennedy Boulevard and Lee Road.
  • Shifting westbound I-4 onto old eastbound I-4 between Kennedy Boulevard and Lee Road to make way for construction on new, permanent westbound I-4.
  • Shifting and combining the eastbound I-4 exit ramp to Par Street and Fairbanks Avenue with the eastbound I-4 exit ramp to Princeton Street, which will allow for the opening of the new eastbound I-4 entrance ramp from Ivanhoe Boulevard.

Once completed, these projects will help pave the way to increased safety and mobility on eastbound I-4 between downtown Orlando and Maitland. You may visit i4ultimate.com/signup to view other methods of receiving updates on changes to eastbound I-4 and other aspects of the project.

 
 
 
 

Kirkman Pedestrian Bridge Takes Big Step Forward Next Month

 

A pedestrian bridge planned for Kirkman Road (State Road 435) will take a major leap toward completion next month when the I-4 Ultimate team uses three large cranes to set the bridge in place.

Planned for as early as November 4, the work will require road closings in the evening and overnight hours. To minimize traffic disruptions, the steel pedestrian bridge that will span above Kirkman Road has been assembled on the ground. The 185-foot-long truss will be lifted, set on top of support structures and then secured into place. Three cranes will be needed to hoist the 155,000-pound unit.

Although the structure does not cross Interstate 4, the pedestrian bridge serves the overall goal of the I-4 Ultimate project to improve mobility and safety throughout the 21-mile corridor.

Tentatively scheduled to open in January 2019, the new bridge will make it safer for residents and visitors to walk or bike from the east side of Kirkman Road, where many hotels and businesses are located, to the Universal Orlando area on the west side.

The new bridge will span Kirkman Road just north of the intersection with Major Boulevard, where crossing Kirkman Road on foot is challenging because the street-level pedestrian crosswalk stretches across nine lanes of traffic. The new bridge not only will make it safer for people and vehicles in the area, but it also will reduce the number of times traffic on busy Kirkman Road must come to halt to allow pedestrians to walk across 140 feet of traffic lanes – nearly half the length of a football field.

The total length of the ramps to and from the bridge plus the elevated span will be 882 feet. The ramps will be 10 feet wide.

For more information or to keep updated on temporary road and lane closures, visit: i4ultimate.com/construction-map.

 
 
 
 

A Look Ahead at the S.R. 434 and I-4 Interchange

 

Construction at the Interstate 4 (I-4) and State Road (S.R.) 434 interchange has been accelerating during the last few months.

Bridge demolition, resurfacing and ramp shifts are some of the most significant activities to have occurred recently at the interchange – and there’s much more yet to come.

Upon completion, the final interchange will have many new features and reconfigured ramps to help ease access to and from I-4.

The westbound I-4 entrance ramp from S.R. 434 will be divided into two ramps: one for eastbound S.R. 434 motorists and a separate right-hand loop ramp for westbound S.R. 434 motorists. The separation of the ramps allows for better traffic flow while discouraging weaving.

By removing the left-hand ramp to westbound I-4 from westbound S.R. 434, the final configuration frees up space for an additional travel lane on each direction of S.R. 434 from east of the interchange to the new westbound I-4 exit ramp.

The eastbound I-4 exit ramp to S.R. 434 will have an additional right turn lane onto eastbound S.R. 434, and the westbound I-4 exit ramp to S.R. 434 also will have an additional lane to improve capacity.

The S.R. 434 and I-4 interchange isn’t the only area in the vicinity getting some improvements – the nearby westbound I-4 rest area also is receiving a facelift. The entrance point to westbound I-4 from the rest area is shifting farther back so motorists entering the interstate have more time to merge onto the mainline without interfering with merging motorists looking to exit onto S.R. 434.

Watch the video explaining all of these improvements or share, download or view a handout detailing the final configuration at i4ultimate.com/future434.

 
 
 
 

Employees Spotlight:
Maintenance of Traffic Team

D. Jones, Z. Thompson, A. Gibbs, R. Spates, O. Lee and A. Brantley
 

With changes occurring daily during the I-4 Ultimate reconstruction project, roadway safety remains a top priority for motorists and workers.

While the culture of safety is instilled throughout the I-4 Ultimate team, one group in particular is charged with carrying out the daily details as roadway changes occur. They do the physical work that helps keep traffic flowing as safely and smoothly as possible.

The Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) team is the hands-on crew with the heads-up mission: To keep you safe while driving and to keep the I-4 team safe while working.

Crews of MOT specialists are hard at work during daylight and nighttime hours. Often working in hot weather and sometimes in heavy traffic, they’re the ones who place and move the concrete barriers walls, traffic cones and traffic drums. They also set and move signs for lane closures, traffic shifts and special work details, and they help implement lane closures and detours.

But under the leadership of MOT Superintendent Kevin Baldwin, their work doesn’t stop there. MOT crew members also respond to emergencies. They set up emergency lane closures that protect first responders and create the gradual tapering of lanes that guide traffic away from the incident.

Sometimes they even make temporary repairs, restriping lanes and replacing roadway reflectors to maintain the safe passage of traffic. They also support other I-4 Ultimate teammates by creating safe areas for them to work within live traffic zones when necessary

“Our crew members have great attitudes and very strong commitments to safety,” Baldwin said. “And they’re proud of what they do.”