I-4 Ultimate Opening New S.R. 408 Ramp

The Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) I-4 Ultimate project delivered relief to motorists and nearby residents with the opening of the westbound State Road (S.R.) 408 flyover ramp to westbound Interstate 4 (I-4) on Sunday, July 26.

The westbound S.R. 408 ramp to westbound I-4 was the final flyover ramp to open at the newly redesigned interchange, improving the connection between I-4 and S.R. 408 by removing merging points and enhancing safety and traffic flow at the intersection of Central Florida’s two busiest highways.

Please view or download this handout for more details about this new movement. This link provides a visual representation of all the new I-4/S.R. 408 movements.

Now that the 120-foot tall flyover is open, the antiquated interchange trumpet ramp system will be demolished in the coming months and open the Griffin Park neighborhood to the rest of the Parramore area. In 2022, Terry Avenue will be extended south under S.R. 408 to intersect with Gore Street, reconnecting the communities. Sound abatement barriers have been constructed on the shoulders of the new ramps nearest to Griffin Park, further reducing impacts of traffic on nearby homes.

As closures and detours continue, it is important for motorists to pay close attention to signage, as familiar routes may have changed.

Motorists are encouraged to follow @I4Ultimate on Twitter or visit I4Ultimate.com for updates.

I-4 Through Seminole County in Final Alignment

This summer and through the fall, motorists will find themselves driving on new pavement, as areas of the I-4 Ultimate project shift into their final footprints.

On Friday, July 31, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) shifted a half-a-mile of eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4) into its final configuration. The shift, located just under State Road (S.R.) 436 in Altamonte Springs, is a milestone for the I-4 Ultimate project, as it is the final piece for I-4 general use lanes in Seminole County to be in its final footprint.

Earlier this month, the last stretch of westbound I-4 in Seminole County also shifted. The nearly three and a half miles of westbound I-4 between the E.E. Williamson overpass and just west of the Central Parkway overpass is now in its permanent configuration, improving Seminole County’s accessibility to the critical corridor.

As a result, westbound I-4 motorists are now traveling on brand new lanes extending from west of the S.R. 434 interchange all the way to east of the Maitland Boulevard interchange – more than eight contiguous miles of general use lanes in their final footprint. 

The S.R. 434 interchange is also nearing completion after several improvements have been made to improve traffic flow.

One of the most notable improvements to the interchange was in April when a new westbound I-4 entrance loop ramp from westbound S.R. 434 opened. The new ramp allows drivers to enter I-4 without a traffic signal, improving flow on S.R. 434. Lastly, the westbound I-4 entrance ramp from eastbound S.R. 434 moved to its final footprint in May. As of now, each ramp at the interchange is in its final alignment. Please download a map of all the improvements to the S.R. 434 interchange.

As closures and detours continue, it is important for motorists to pay extra attention to signage, as familiar routes may have changed. Drivers should avoid distractions, adjust their speed, and allow plenty of extra time to navigate the I-4 Ultimate work zone.

Westbound I-4 Shifts to Final Alignment in Maitland

The Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) I-4 Ultimate project passed another milestone ahead of Independence Day after a mile and a half of westbound Interstate 4 (I-4) shifted into final alignment under the reconstructed Maitland Boulevard interchange.

The shift created nearly five contiguous miles of general use lanes in their final footprint from east of State Road 436 to west of Kennedy Boulevard.

Construction in Maitland also is nearing completion.

Prior to the shift, the eastbound I-4 exit to Sandspur Road, the eleventh and final new pattern at the Maitland Boulevard interchange, opened to traffic in June. The entire interchange was reconfigured to eliminate traffic signals and create a free-flowing interchange. Approximately 76,000 vehicles travel Maitland Boulevard over I-4 and another 172,500 travel I-4 under Maitland Boulevard daily.

Improvements also included elevating nearly 1.5 miles of Maitland Boulevard over intersections with Lake Destiny Road, Keller Road and Maitland Summit Boulevard west of I-4 to improve traffic flow. Download a map of all the improvements in Maitland.

As closures and detours continue, it is important for motorists to pay extra attention to signage as familiar routes may have changed. Drivers should avoid distractions, adjust their speed, and allow plenty of extra time to navigate the I-4 Ultimate work zone.

As improvements continue, motorists are encouraged to follow @I4Ultimate on Twitter or visit I4Ultimate.com for updates.

Update: Continuous Closures Throughout I‑4 Ultimate

Continuous closures will be necessary to accelerate construction work in several key areas on the I-4 Ultimate project.

As a reminder, the following closures are ongoing:

• The westbound I-4 entrance ramp from Orange Blossom Trail (U.S. 441/17-92) is closed through August to rebuild the ramp. Please view or download this handout for more information. Trucks will be detoured via Colonial Drive (State Road 50) and John Young Parkway during the closure. Please see this handout for more details.
• The outside lane on Anderson Street from Division Avenue to the eastbound I-4 entrance ramp is closed through October. This also closes eastbound Anderson Street access to eastbound I-4. The detour map for this closure can be found here.
• The eastbound State Road (S.R.) 408 ramp to Orange Avenue is scheduled to reopen this fall. More information about this closure can be found here.
• The eastbound I-4 entrance ramp from Michigan Street is scheduled to reopen spring 2020. More information about this closure can be found here.
• Periodic nighttime and potential daytime closures of Parramore Avenue under S.R. 408 are likely to occur throughout 2020 and into early 2021 to accommodate bridge work. More information about this closure can be found here.

As closures and shifts continue, it is important for motorists to pay extra attention to signage as familiar routes may have changed. Drivers should avoid distractions, adjust their speed, and allow plenty of extra time to navigate the I-4 Ultimate work zone.

Resources to help you stay connected with the I-4 Ultimate project are available at https://i4ultimate.com/signup.

Employee Spotlight: Lou Dema
Environmental, Health & Safety Director for I‑4 Ultimate

Lou Dema absorbed many lessons while growing up in his family’s construction business in New York and New Jersey. His on-the-job education began at age 13 when he went to work for his father after school and in the summers.

From mixing cement and supplying brick to the masons and carpenters to later operating heavy machinery to help build homes, Dema literally learned the business from the ground up. He took away more than job skills; his father also instilled the values of hard work, safety, and responsibility to the entire family. 

“I still go to work every day with the determination to make every effort to see that everyone goes home to their family at the end of the day,” said Dema, who is Environmental, Health & Safety Director for SGL – the construction joint venture of Skanska, Granite, and Lane that is constructing I-4 Ultimate.

For Dema, those goals are as ingrained as family values.

“I am dedicated to living and adhering to the company core values: Care for Life, Act Ethically and Transparently, Be Better Together, and Commit to Customers,” he said.

Indeed, as an EHS Director of Skanska USA, who has overseen environment health and safety for a large part of the company’s work in the southeast, Dema believes so deeply in employee safety that he decided to focus solely on Orlando.

“In August 2018, I made the commitment to dedicate my full-time efforts to the I-4 Ultimate project,” Dema said.

He is proud of the teamwork that, as of late July, has resulted in 2.5 million work hours without a lost-time injury.

During his 13 years with Skanska, Dema worked on huge projects from coast to coast, including the dramatically shaped commuter rail building near the new World Trade Center in New York and the light rail extension project in the Silicon Valley of California.

But I-4 Ultimate’s complexity is unique with its own challenges, said Dema, who often works from 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. to resolve safety issues and support the project operations team.

“This project has proved to be one of the most challenging and complex I have ever been involved in,” he said. But I truly enjoy getting out and meeting all the hard-working crews to thank them for their dedication. Being part of the turnaround in safety performance on the project is the highlight of my career.”

It requires ongoing vigilance.

“We will all look back on this project in the years ahead, as we drive along I-4, with the feeling that we all have built an amazing project for generations to come, knowing we each contributed in our own way to its success.”

In his spare time, Dema likes to spend time with his wife, Blerina, and their two daughters, Sihanna and Leandrra, enjoying the outdoors together and traveling globally.

Lou Dema is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) by the Board of Certified Professionals (BCSP) and an OSHA Outreach Instructor.