DeSantis orders I-4 work speedup
Governor: ‘We should take advantage’ of reduced traffic levels
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday ordered an acceleration of the Interstate 4 Ultimate project through Central Florida — a move possible, he said, because the coronavirus lockdown has dramatically reduced traffic on the troubled highway.
The $2.3 billion I-4 Ultimate project, already a year behind schedule and $125 million over budget, will be completed one to two months earlier at no additional cost to the state because of his order, DeSantis said.
“We should take advantage of this pause,” the governor said, referring to the stay-at-home order imposed statewide. “The fact that we don’t have as many people on the roads, let’s take advantage of that.”
The acceleration effort will focus on two primary areas: The I-4 interchange with State Road 408, which Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault called the biggest “bottleneck” for the project, and the area around the State Road 434 interchange in Longwood.
The goal will be to get westbound traffic from Lake Mary to downtown by moving motorists into the lanes designed for the
project’s final configuration. Opening those lanes will in turn help speed the work on the 408 interchange.
Since the governor’s stay-at-home order took effect April 3, I-4’s traffic has diminished by more than half — down from 100,000-120,000 vehicles per day to about 40,000, Thibault said. That reduction means construction crews will be able to close more lanes than usual and work more during daytime hours to speed up the project.
Other roads also will be affected, Thibault said.
A stretch of State Road 50, also known as Colonial Drive, that passes under the interstate north of downtown Orlando, will be closed on weekends so a bridge can be completed more quickly.
Farther north, I-4’s westbound entrance from State Road 434 will be closed, with traffic diverted from 434, along Douglas Avenue, to the S.R. 436 entrance ramp.
The new traffic patterns caused by the changes will be monitored in case unexpected problems arise, Thibault said.
The governor’s announcement follows the revelation this month that state officials had signed off on a public bailout of the project, costing taxpayers $125 million.
The Department of Transportation agreed to pay I-4 Mobility Partners, the consortium of construction and finance firms behind the project, the extra money on top of the original $2.3 billion price tag.
When setting up the I-4 project as a “public-private partnership,” state officials said that approach would protect taxpayers
“I know, talking with people in Central Florida, they want this I-4 Ultimate Project completed as soon as possible.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis
from cost overruns. I-4’s contractor has blamed several delays and added costs on the state.
It’s not clear exactly what the $125 million payment is for, or where the funds will come from.
But DeSantis was emphatic on Saturday that speeding up the project will not add even more to the bill.
“None of these changes will increase the cost of the project to the Florida taxpayer,” he said.
I-4 Ultimate, overhauling 21 miles of the interstate in Orange and Seminole counties while adding toll lanes, is the state’s biggest-ever road project. Since it started in 2015, the work has resulted in five worker fatalities and more than 1,000 damage claims from property and vehicle owners.
Completion now looks likely in early 2021. Even with Saturday’s announcement, the project would still finish 10-11 months later than originally planned.
“I know, talking with people in Central Florida,” the governor said Saturday, “they want this I-4 Ultimate Project completed as soon as possible.”