I-4 Ultimate Construction Suspended for One Week
for Holiday Season
The I-4 Ultimate team is planning for holiday traffic by pausing closures.
Starting 7 a.m., Thursday, December 23, until 10 p.m., Sunday, January 2, no interstate lane closures will be in place throughout the 21 miles of the I-4 Ultimate construction zones. This effort will help minimize potential traffic delays for motorists during the holiday travel season.
While all lanes of Interstate 4 (I-4) will remain open to accommodate expected additional traffic during the holiday, some crews will still be out working along the project. Motorists need to continue to drive responsibly through the work zone. Emergency lane closures may still occur if needed.
Additionally, motorists should be extra cautious when driving during the holiday season. It is important to be alert of your surroundings and make sure your vehicle is prepared for any length of driving to avoid car stalls or potential crashes.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Avoid distractions: Remember to put down all mobile devices. It is illegal to use these devices while driving through a work zone, and it could also be hazardous to your safety and those around you.
Check tire pressure: Be sure to check your tire pressure once a month. Maintaining the correct level of pressure will help avoid a tire blowout.
Don’t drive impaired or while drowsy: Driving under the influence is against the law, and motorists should also consider their level of drowsiness after eating a big holiday meal. After a meal, consider resting a bit before getting on the road.
Don’t speed: Follow the posted speed limits in and around the work zone.
Call *FHP (*347): Roadside assistance is available in case of emergencies. Depending on the severity of your situation, a Florida Highway Patrol officer may be dispatched. I-4 Ultimate Road Rangers are equipped to handle minor roadway incidents and will respond if necessary.
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Employee Spotlight: Jonathan Jenkins
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Click on image above to view video.
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The I-4 Ultimate Project is more than just highway construction. The project also includes constructing and refurbishing sidewalks on streets near Interstate 4 (I-4). Jonathan Jenkins, a project superintendent for the I-4 Ultimate project, oversees all the sidewalk construction and refurbishment throughout the project. Watch the video to learn more about Jonathan Jenkins and how he’s helping build a better I-4.
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Community Residents Attend Open House for Hicks Avenue Project
The City of Orlando, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), hosted an open house on December 9 at the Shiloh Baptist Church Youth Life Worship & Praise Center to discuss plans for improving transportation and community connectivity in two historic downtown Orlando neighborhoods.
The event allowed residents to ask questions and give feedback about plans to reunite the Griffin Park and Parramore Heritage neighborhoods.
More than 50 years ago, the community had been split apart during the original construction of Interstate 4 (I-4), State Road 408, and the interchange of the two major roads.
The I-4 Ultimate project presented an opportunity to restore community ties. As part of improving safety and mobility on the interstate, workers removed old ramps and replaced them with less intrusive flyovers at the interchange, which opened up the area underneath.
To reconnect and revitalize the area, the FDOT will extend Hicks Avenue from Anderson Street to Gore Street — a project that could break ground as early as the summer of 2022. The City of Orlando will also extend Hicks Avenue from its current end point near South Street to Anderson Street, and FDOT will provide support to ensure the two projects work together to increase connectivity.
Strengthened by the reunification, the two neighborhoods will also benefit from improved connectivity, better lanes for bikes, and improved walkways for pedestrians. Additional safety measures include adding roundabouts to maintain safe traffic speeds and new lighting along sidewalks and roads.
During the open house, attendees studied large maps of the project and had the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to representatives of FDOT and Orlando.
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I-4 Ultimate Team Rescues Hawk
A severely injured red-tailed hawk is on the mend at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland thanks to the quick actions of I-4 Ultimate team members.
The bird, which was rescued on November 9 from a pond near a South Street off ramp, has a few more weeks of recuperation and rehabilitation, but is expected to return to its natural habitat. That’s quite a turnaround, considering it arrived at the center with one broken toe, another toe and talon that required amputation, a lacerated tendon, seizures, and malnourishment from being unable to feed itself after being injured.
Crew members noticed that the hawk hadn't moved from its spot at the edge of a pond for a couple of days. They alerted others at SGL Constructors (the joint venture of Skanska, Granite, and Lane) about the injured bird.
Russ Handler, the SGL Project Communications Manager, checked with the Audubon Center before heading to the pond with SGL Superintendent Johnathan Cummins. The two crossed over some marshy area and approached the injured hawk.
“We were able to get the net over him,” Handler said. “I carefully wrapped him in a shirt, walked him out of the marsh and placed him in a large canvas bag, zippered it shut and transported him where they began treatment right away.”
Handler, who had never attempted a bird rescue before, said both he and the raptor were a bit uncertain about the interaction. “He fought a bit at first but then relaxed once I got him wrapped in a shirt and held him tight.”
The Audubon Center’s website notes that raptors, which include eagles, hawks, ospreys, and owls, can be very dangerous. To rescue such animals, it recommends a process like the one used on the hawk.
In addition to expert medical care, the center has large “flight barns” where recuperating birds can regain their flying strength while specialists evaluate their flying and hunting skills before releasing them.
“Of all the great things I get to do on this project, rescuing the hawk with my own hands was by far one of the highlights,” Handler said.
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By the Numbers: I-4 Ultimate
This holiday season, take a minute to consider the vast dimensions of the I-4 Ultimate project – all 21 miles of it.
If you’re driving through Orlando on Interstate 4 (I-4) during the holidays – whether to see relatives, attend a festive event, or do some last-minute shopping – you’re driving on new roadway, built as part of the I-4 Ultimate project.
As the state’s largest infrastructure project nears completion, workers have rebuilt all six lanes from State Road 434 in Seminole County to Kirkman Road in Orange County. They’ve also added four managed lanes along those 21 miles. Crews also rebuilt or reconfigured more than a dozen interchanges and dozens of bridges and overpasses.
It took time — plus a lot of concrete, asphalt, and recycling — to create a travel corridor to improve safety, mobility, connectivity, and economic stability in the region.
How much concrete? How much asphalt? The numbers speak for themselves.
1.2 million
Crews used 1.2 million tons of asphalt to pave 270 lane miles of I-4. That includes 10 lanes and adjacent roadways. It’s enough to pave a single-lane road from Orlando to Savannah, Georgia.
412,000
More than 412,000 tons of asphalt, concrete, steel, and other metals were hauled to temporary recycling yards along I-4 where they were separated, crushed, and reused. That’s equal to the weight of 2,793 SunRail engines.
98.6
It’s not just the normal temperature of a human being. It’s also the impressive percentage of materials that were recycled as the team removed old roadway and bridges.
Old asphalt was crushed and turned into a new asphalt mix. Pulverized concrete was reborn as road base for new highway lanes. Melted steel returned as new rebar rods to strengthen concrete bridges.
461,000
Workers have poured 461,000 cubic yards of concrete during the project. How much is that? It’s enough to fill and overflow the brim of Camping World Stadium.
Consider that the next time you drive past the stadium in downtown Orlando.
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I-4 Express Website Now Available
Managed lanes, known locally as I-4 Express, will open on Interstate 4 (I-4) in early 2022. To help motorists make the most of this new travel option, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has launched a new website, i4express.com.
I-4 Express is a limited-access toll road within the interstate. Once open, I-4 Express will offer two tolled lanes in each direction in the center of I-4, spanning all 21 miles of the I-4 Ultimate corridor from west of Kirkman Road (State Road 435) to east of State Road 434.
I-4 Express gives drivers another choice to avoid congestion and reduce stress. The pricing for tolls is not a fixed rate and will vary based on demand for access to I-4 Express. Pricing is adjusted based on traffic volumes in I-4 Express to manage congestion. Since tolls are collected electronically, drivers must have a SunPass or other Florida-accepted transponder such as E-PASS or Peach Pass.
The new website has all the information you need to use I-4 Express. For how-to videos, frequently asked questions, a complete list of accepted transponders, an interactive trip planning tool, and more, be sure to visit i4express.com.
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