I-4 widening project reaches major milestone

The I-4 widening project between S.R. 472 and S.R. 44 in Florida will reach a major milestone this month when construction begins on the four-mile widening and interchange project for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 5.

HNTB Corp. was selected to design this section of I-4 in 2001, which is one of the last sections of the 132-mile I-4 to be widened. In its effort to unclog one of Florida's main thoroughfares, FDOT began reconstructing the entire interstate from Tampa to Daytona Beach in the early 1990s.

"When this project is completed, central Florida motorists heading to and from Daytona Beach on I-4 will have less congestion to contend with and a safer passage," said HNTB Project Manager Brad Flom.

The project design widens I-4 from four-lanes to six-lanes between S.R. 472 to S.R. 44 and includes four new overpass bridges at Cassadaga Road, Orange Camp Road, Summit Avenue and eastbound S.R. 44. Each bridge will have vertical clearances set to accommodate a possible future light-rail corridor planned to run within the I-4 median envelope. HNTB also modified or reconstructed nine ramps to handle the six-lane interstate and lead the design of 15 detention ponds.

SEMA Construction Inc. will lead the construction of the $58.6 million I-4 project, which began this month and will last 650 days.