AASHTO Journal, 20 February 2015
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Department of Transportation broke ground Feb. 17 on a $2.3 billion “I-4 Ultimate” construction project to rebuild Interstate 4 through the Orlando metro area.
That effort, FDOT said, will rebuild 21 miles of I-4, add two tolled express lanes in each direction, replace more than 140 bridges, reconfigure 15 major interchanges and rebuild the entire existing roadway in that area.
The agency is using a public-private partnership, which FDOT said “will help deliver these improvements nearly 20 years sooner than using conventional methods.”
That part of I-4 now handles about 1.5 million daily trips, and the agency says “the I-4 Ultimate project will greatly reduce congestion for travelers.”
Meanwhile, said FDOT Secretary Jim Boxold, “the department will work around-the-clock to ensure that we do all we can to lessen the impact of this major reconstruction project on the traveling public.”
Scott said the project “will dramatically improve and expand the I-4 corridor in the Orlando area,” curbing congestion “while continuing to make our roadways better, safer and easier for Florida families and our visitors.”
He touted this work as the type of infrastructure project that “will encourage people and businesses from around the world to move to our state and keep us on a path to become the global leader in job creation.”
FDOT is giving this project an expedited status, and private firms in an “I-4 Mobility Partners” team will design, build, finance, operate and maintain it through a P3 concession agreement. Project completion is expected in 2021.
More information on I-4 Ultimate is available at the project website.