An I-4 Beyond the Ultimate project completed in 2021 has won statewide recognition for excellence in construction.

Hubbard Construction Company, the contractor for the E.E. Williamson Road bridge replacement project, received a 2022 Best in Construction Award from the Florida Transportation Builders’ Association (FTBA). The project replaced the existing bridge over Interstate 4 (I-4) in Seminole County with a brand-new structure more than 25 feet wider than its predecessor. The project was part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT’s) I-4 Beyond the Ultimate improvements in Seminole County.

The new overpass includes:

• 12-foot-wide traffic lanes in both directions;
• 6-foot-wide bicycle lanes on the outside of both traffic lanes;
• A 6-foot-wide sidewalk on the south side;
• A 10-foot-wide trail on the north side, which improved access to the Seminole Wekiva Trail; and
• A raised median separating the eastbound and westbound travel lanes.

To minimize disruption, FDOT created a construction plan that allowed workers to alternate between building portions of the new bridge and demolishing parts of the existing structure. In this way, the crossing remained open to both eastbound and westbound traffic throughout construction.

FTBA selects Best in Construction Award winners in partnership with FDOT. FDOT District Offices nominate FTBA contractor members for awards in 16 categories each year. The FDOT State Construction Office then assembles a committee to review the nominations.

“On behalf of FTBA, I’m honored to highlight the companies and individuals who worked on and created the most innovative, complex, and impactful projects around our state and present them a Best in Construction award,” said FTBA President Ananth Prasad. “These companies upheld the highest standards as they worked to improve our transportation systems throughout Florida.”