I-4 Ultimate: Transformation Taking Shape on the I-4 / S.R. 408 Interchange

The I-4 Ultimate project is considered a legacy project for the department as it is the largest project in the state’s history. So, when this project was put out for bid back in 2014, one of the main items of interest was the proposal for the Interstate 4 (I-4) / State Road (S.R.) 408 interchange. This interchange is the most complex area of the project corridor and is one of the busiest interchanges in Central Florida with nearly 200,000 vehicles that pass through daily.

This impressive final product is starting to take shape. At 120 feet high at its highest point, intricate flyover bridging is becoming a signature landmark of the I-4 Ultimate project in downtown Orlando. The resources required to get to this point include:

• 52.3 miles of pile driven into the ground;
• 44,600 cubic yards of concrete poured;
• 10.5 million pounds of rebar (steel rods) used as support; and,
• 36.6 million pounds of structural steel used.

The ramps provide efficient and safe connectivity, without the weaving in-and-out of merging traffic to reach an exit or merge ramp, as is the case with the older I-4 design—still in use as new construction continues.

“Central Florida residents are seeing the results of all the hard work behind the scenes and on the ground,” said John Tyler, the Florida Department of Transportation district engineer for the east-Central Florida region. “The design, engineering, and construction coordination that have turned concepts into reality.”

Many drivers eagerly await the opening. The construction team’s goal is to have the ramps in service by the middle of next year. To meet that goal, work continues both day and night, including pouring more concrete, installing barrier walls, and smoothing and grooving the concrete surface so it drains properly and offers good traction.

The 21-mile makeover, from west of Kirkman Road in Orange County to east of S.R 434 in Seminole County, is transforming the region to better connect our communities, boost our economy, and improve everyone’s quality of life.