As a result of an accelerated work directive issued by Governor Ron DeSantis (R) in April, the Florida Department of Transportation completed five new “flyover ramps” along Interstate 4/State Road 408 three months ahead of schedule.
[Above photo by the Florida DOT.]
“Governor DeSantis challenged the department to find ways to accelerate I-4 construction while there was less traffic on the road, and I am pleased to announce that we have opened these critical components of the I-4 corridor to drivers ahead of schedule,” said Kevin Thibault, Florida DOT’s secretary, in a statement.
“This is the biggest milestone of the project to date, which will undoubtedly transform the heart of our state’s transportation system,” he added.
That flyover ramp work is part of the $2.3 billion I-4 Ultimate project, which is reconstructing 21 miles of I-4 from west of Kirkman Road to east of State Road 434 in Longwood.
The “accelerated work schedule” went into effect on April 11, with the I-4 Ultimate team working at more than 12 locations with extended lane and ramp closures due to lower traffic volumes that reduced construction time with no additional costs incurred or paid for speeding up those work activities.
“The completion of this project will make a big difference for Floridians who commute through this area,” added Gov. DeSantis.
“Secretary Thibault has shown his commitment and dedication in completing this project expeditiously and I look forward to seeing more infrastructure projects like this finish ahead of schedule.”
To that end, the Florida DOT is planning to speed up work on another 40 transportation projects statewide by at least 650 total contract days as it continues efforts to take advantage of lower traffic volumes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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