Relief on Interstate 4, especially between Orlando and points west of U.S. Highway 27 in Polk County—it sounds like a great New Year’s Resolution from the state of Florida.
They’re listening. The Florida Department of Transportation announced last week that construction work along the I-4 corridor is “shifting into high gear” for the first part of the Moving I-4 Forward Program. The plan to help reduce congestion between U.S. 27 to east of World Drive—a spot where traffic backs up at all daylight hours, creating a “rush day” rather than an hour where the road sees an average of 140,000 vehicles per day.
Drivers will start seeing heavy equipment and an increased number of crews along the corridor.
It’s part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Moving I-4 Forward initiative to build an additional travel lane in each direction, and do it by the end of 2025 to bring accelerated relief to one of the most congested areas in Central Florida.
The project also includes wider entrance and exit ramps at the ChampionsGate interchange and add new connections, resurface the road, and widen the shoulders for enhanced safety.
“This project is a game changer not only for our surrounding communities that travel this vital corridor every day but also for the millions of visitors who come each year to Central Florida,” said Florida Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary of Engineering and Operations Will N. Watts, Jr., P.E.
State officials say Moving I-4 Forward, a part of the Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative created by Ron DeSantis’, will eventually invest a reported $7 billion into enhancing the state’s most-used road corridors. The collaboration between FDOT and industry partners is expected, according to the state, to partners to expedite construction on these selected I-4 projects 15 to 20 years earlier than budgeted and anticipated.
Visit MovingI4forward.com to learn more about the project and receive project updates.
