Public Invited to Open House to Learn About I-4 Design Improvements in South Orange County

The Florida Department of Transportation will hold an informational open house from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14, to discuss proposed design plans for improvements to Interstate 4 (I-4) in south Orange County.

The open house will be held at the Rosen Jewish Community Center (JCC) at 11184 S. Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando.

The goal of the design project is to improve mobility and safety by reducing congestion on I-4 in Orange County and adjacent roadways. The project will tie in with the I-4 Ultimate project, currently under construction from west of Kirkman Road (State Road 435) to east of State Road (S.R.) 434.

The project will improve the I-4 interchanges of Central Florida Parkway, Beachline Expressway (S.R. 528) and Sand Lake Road (S.R. 482). The proposed design for the I-4 corridor includes:

• Adding an eastbound I-4 on-ramp and a westbound I-4 exit ramp at Central Florida Parkway. The existing flyover bridge will be replaced.
• Adding direct connect ramps between I-4 Express Lanes and Beachline Expressway express lanes.
• Reconstructing the Sand Lake Road interchange as a diverging diamond interchange with a loop ramp to Turkey Lake Road.
• Extending I-4 Express Lanes from the end of the I-4 Ultimate project to the west of Central Florida Parkway.

The open house will provide information about the proposed design project. The FDOT team will be available to answer questions and explain the proposed improvements with the help of large display maps, a video presentation and informational handouts.

For more information about I-4 Beyond the Ultimate and the south Orange County informational open house, visit i4beyond.com.

I-4 Advanced Construction Notifications Include Saxon Boulevard Alerts

Motorists can sign up to receive advance construction alerts for work occurring at the Interstate 4 (I-4) and Saxon Boulevard interchange.

Crews in Deltona are working overnight at the interchange. The Florida Department of Transportation improvement project is focused on improving traffic flow at the eastbound I-4 exit to Saxon Boulevard (Exit 111A). Crews will realign the exit ramp, add a traffic signal at the end of the ramp, and add a third lane on eastbound Saxon Boulevard between the ramp and the intersection of Finland Drive. Approximately 4 miles of I-4 is being milled and resurfaced from west of Saxon Boulevard to east of State Road (S.R.) 472.

Single and double lane closures are required to complete this work. The closures typically occur on eastbound and westbound I-4 between S.R. 472/Howland Boulevard and Cassadaga Road and on Saxon Boulevard between I-4 and Apache Circle.

The I-4 Advanced Construction Alert System offers advance notifications about these nightly closures sent directly to your inbox or cellphone.

Sign up for advance construction alerts by entering your contact information on i4beyond.com. When signing up, use the “Alert Locations” dropdown menu to select either “In a Construction Area” or “Around an Interchange.” “In a Construction Area” click the box next to “I-4 Beyond North” and leave all remaining boxes unchecked if you’re only interested in Saxon Area alerts. Under “Around an Interchange” choose “I-4/Saxon.”

Prior to receiving text messages, users are required to opt-in by replying “YES” to the introductory message. Standard messaging and data rates may apply. Messaging frequency varies based on preferences.

Employee Spotlight: Abhijeet H. Desai, P.E.

In-house Consultant for FDOT on I-4 Beyond the Ultimate

Abhijeet Desai loves to see ideas go from concept to drawing to construction. “I like symmetry,” he said, “I admit I have even used a laser level to line up things and furniture in the house.” No wonder that he felt in harmony with the science and math behind civil engineering.

Desai, who is FDOT’s in-house consultant for the I-4 Beyond the Ultimate corridor, is a Transportation Engineer with RS&H – the architecture, engineering and infrastructure consulting company.

His career has seemed to prepare him for his current role. He was part of the criteria development team for the I-4 Ultimate project and he continued to work on the design oversight team, serving as the design review manager. With 13 years in the industry and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Florida State University, Desai still finds many new challenges on the job nearly every day.

He credits his mother for setting an example of diligence and hard work while he was growing up in India, where he earned his undergraduate degree from Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering in Nagpur. His mother was a teacher who went on to become the principal of a middle school and high school for more than 20 years. His father retired as manager with a construction firm, and the seed for civil engineering was sowed in the young Desai when he visited his father at work and saw how his dad helped take the blue lines on paper to real buildings.

In his current role, Desai is helping to ensure that I-4 Beyond the Ultimate and I-4 Ultimate serve as a uniform seamless corridor for more than 60 miles, connecting communities and businesses from Polk County to Volusia County. He relies on knowledgeable colleagues and keeps the big picture in mind to balance the multiple needs of motorists, residents, businesses, and builders on this massive project.

“It’s a privilege to work on this project that is going to benefit so many people and communities across Central Florida,” Desai said.

In his spare time, he likes to hike or take long walks with his audiobooks and spend time with his family.