i-4 Ultimate
 

November 2019

 
IN THIS UPDATE
* New Configuration of Eastbound I-4 Exit to Maitland Boulevard
* A 360-Degree View of the Temporary Westbound Entrance from Par Street
* Tunnel Vision: A Look at S.R. 436 Pedestrian Tunnel Construction
* Drive in Eight: An Exciting Look at the 21-Mile I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project
* Employee Spotlight: Robert Humker
 
 
 

New Configuration of Eastbound I-4 Exit to Maitland Boulevard

 

The eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4) ramp to Maitland Boulevard (State Road 414) shifted into its permanent configuration in November, providing access to eastbound and westbound Maitland Boulevard from one ramp.

The exit point from eastbound I-4 to westbound Maitland Boulevard (90B) now begins approximately a quarter of a mile sooner, and it is coupled with the exit point to eastbound Maitland Boulevard (90A). The new combined eastbound exit ramp splits to provide access to both directions of Maitland Boulevard.

The eastbound I-4 exit is now in its final configuration and access to eastbound and westbound Maitland Boulevard will remain combined on the same ramp.

Additional shifts of other I-4 ramps at the Maitland interchange will occur, and motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving through the work zone.

 
 
 
 

A 360-Degree View of the Temporary Westbound Entrance from Par Street

 

A major change came to the westbound Interstate 4 (I-4) entrance ramp from Par Street in early November.

As part of this temporary shift, the existing merge location to westbound I‑4 from the access road between Par Street and Princeton Street closed. Motorists instead need to continue on the access road through the traffic signal at the Princeton Street interchange using the middle lane, and then enter westbound I-4 from the Princeton Street entrance ramp.

Take a ride with David Parks, I-4 Ultimate Public Communications Coordinator, through the temporary configuration and get a 360-degree view of what it is like to drive through that area.

 
 
 
 

Tunnel Vision: A Look at S.R. 436 Pedestrian Tunnel Construction

 

If you live near the area where Interstate 4 (I-4) intersects with State Road (S.R.) 436, a pedestrian tunnel being constructed at S.R. 436 will take you safely underneath the bustling traffic of this busy interchange and across to the other side. Whether you’re an Altamonte Mall shopper, a Cranes Roost Park jogger, or a long-distance bike rider, the tunnel is designed to meet your accessibility and safety needs.

Currently, in the early stages of construction, the pedestrian tunnel is being built in a unique way: a triple-phase approach allows construction workers to dig out a tunnel across the width of S.R. 436, while making sure that traffic remains in full flow. Here’s a look at how it is being done.

Crews have demolished a portion of the old S.R. 436 bridge and have begun sheet piling. Interlocking steel sheets are pushed into the ground by a pile driver to create a solid barrier structure, which will protect an excavated pit from caving in.

Phase 1 involves digging out soil and inserting a prefabricated tube into the pit. Once the first of three sections of the pedestrian tunnel is installed, crews will replace the soil over the section and begin constructing the center of the bridge.

Phase 2 requires shifting eastbound S.R. 436 to the new center lanes of the bridge. Crews will then drive sheet piles into the ground on the south side of the bridge, excavate a new pit and install the second segment of the tunnel, connecting it to the first segment.

Phase 3 shifts westbound S.R. 436 onto new lanes over the bridge. Crews can then install the third segment of the tunnel on the north side of the bridge, finally connecting the whole tunnel so it traverses underneath S.R. 436.

When construction is finished, the tunnel will open to pedestrians. Ramped entrances and exits will be accessible from Wymore Road on the south side, and from Douglas Avenue on the north side of S.R. 436. One of the last items to be completed on the I-4 Ultimate Project, the tunnel may not be in service until the last few months of the project.

For more information about pedestrian features on the I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project, visit i4ultimate.com/ped-bike.

 
 
 
 

Drive in Eight: An Exciting Look at the 21‑Mile I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project

 

Here’s your chance to get a first-person perspective of improvements on Interstate 4 (I-4) as if you’re actually in the driver’s seat.

In two eight-minute videos, we drive through the entire 21-mile I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project – both westbound and eastbound. Each video has a split view: The top shows how I-4 looked in October 2019, and the bottom shows how the roadway appeared before construction started.

The I-4 Ultimate project is completely rebuilding general use and auxiliary lanes along the corridor from west of Kirkman Road in Orange County to east of State Road 434 in Seminole County. Additionally, the project is adding two dynamically tolled express lanes in each direction, reconstructing 15 major interchanges, as well as widening, adding or replacing more than 140 bridges.

I-4 Ultimate has made substantial upgrades to Central Florida’s major transportation artery since construction began in 2015.

Viewers can see newly paved roads, how lanes have shifted, and more by checking out the videos here: Eastbound drive and westbound drive.

 
 
 
 

Employee Spotlight: Robert Humker
I-4 Ultimate Procurement Specialist


Central Floridians are accustomed to seeing the heavy equipment of the I-4 Ultimate project – the bulldozers, cranes and concrete-mixer trucks that can be glimpsed in safe work zones along the highway. But keeping the huge project moving forward takes the effort of many people the motoring public never sees.

Behind the scenes, for example, the procurement department has processed more than 10,700 requisitions for permanent goods and services since the project began. Though not well-known, it is one of the busiest departments of SGL – the construction joint venture of Skanska, Granite and Lane.

Among those reviewing requisitions for everything from big trucks to small tools is SGL Procurement Specialist Robert Humker.

Highly regarded by his officemates for his good humor and hard work, Humker describes his current assignment this way: “It’s the nonstop processing of requisitions for permanent goods and services for the project, writing contracts and change orders with a good deal of coffee consumption in between.”

A nonstop workflow might not be surprising on a $2.3 billion project that stretches 21 miles and includes the reconfiguration of 15 intersections and the building or renovating of 140 bridges. The project is massive, but Humker knows the construction business inside and out.

In addition to his five years on the I-4 Ultimate project, Humker has an undergraduate degree in architecture from Ohio State and is a licensed general contractor in Florida. His first construction job was driving a ready-mix concrete truck while in college.

Later, he rose through the ranks (management trainee, assistant superintendent, superintendent, project engineer, project manager and senior project manager) during the transition of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Stadium into what is now known as old Turner Field and later converted into Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta and construction of Minute Maid Park in Houston and Gillette Stadium near Boston.

He also has worked on airports, steel mills, parking garages, shopping centers, office buildings and sports facility projects. He’s proud of his history of working hard, including serving in the U.S. Marines from 1968 to 1970.

“I started working at 12 years of age, washing pots and pans at a steakhouse restaurant for 75 cents an hour plus supper, and I haven’t stopped since.”

His off-hour interests include military history, sports shooting, watching football and spending family time with wife Marsha. He has two children and two grandchildren.