Eastbound I-4 Rest Area in Seminole County Changed to Truck-Only Parking

On February 18, parking for cars, SUVs, and other passenger vehicles permanently closed at the rest area to accommodate a new stormwater pond. Extra stormwater capacity is required to accommodate a new auxiliary lane from the end of the I-4 Ultimate project to Lake Mary Boulevard.

The new pond will be created in the existing parking area for cars, SUVs and other passenger vehicles. The change requires the removal of the picnic pavilions. Restroom facilities, vending machines and the truck-only parking area will be unchanged and remain available to truck drivers only.

While traveling through this corridor, the public has a variety of options for taking a break from the road, including interchanges at S.R. 436 (Exit 92), S.R. 434 (Exit 94), Lake Mary Boulevard (Exit 98), and S.R. 46 (Exit 101C). Two park and ride lots are also available at Exit 108 to 295 Debary Avenue, and Exit 111B to 1299 Saxon Boulevard; however, there are no restroom facilities at these locations.

The auxiliary lane construction is part of the I-4 Beyond the Ultimate improvement projects along I-4 in Seminole County. Other improvements include the resurfacing of eastbound I-4 travel lanes from the end of the I-4 Ultimate project to County Road 46A, and from S.R. 46 to east of U.S. 17-92, and reconstructing the E.E. Williamson Road bridge over I-4.

View or download a handout on the I-4 rest area modification at: I4Beyond.com/truck.

New Alignment Opens on Eastbound I-4 Exit to Lake Mary Boulevard

A new realignment of the eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4) exit ramp to Lake Mary Boulevard opened on January 9, 2020.

As part of the I-4 Beyond the Ultimate interim projects in Seminole County, the eastbound I-4 exit ramp to Lake Mary Boulevard has been resurfaced to extend the life of the pavement. Additionally, the new alignment of the exit ramp has eliminated the concrete island separating the two right turn lanes onto eastbound Lake Mary Boulevard. Both lanes now place traffic onto the Lake Mary Boulevard through lanes, meaning traffic in the right lane no longer feeds into the right-turn-only lane leading to Lake Emma Road. Finally, motorists exiting eastbound I-4 are no longer able to make a right turn on red at Lake Mary Boulevard.

Other ongoing I-4 Beyond the Ultimate work in Seminole County includes:

• Milling and resurfacing eastbound I-4 travel lanes from west of Lake Mary Boulevard to west of County Road (C.R.) 46A and from State Road (S.R.) 46 to east of U.S. 17-92.
• Reconstruction and widening of the E.E. Williamson Road bridge over I-4.
• Addition of an auxiliary lane to eastbound I-4 from the end of the I-4 Ultimate project to west of Lake Mary Boulevard.

For more information about I-4 Beyond the Ultimate and the I-4 construction projects in Seminole County, visit I4Beyond.com and sign up for advance construction alerts by entering your contact information on I4Beyond.com/Alerts.

Milling and Resurfacing Projects for I-4

The Florida Department of Transportation District Five is responsible for maintaining and operating more than 70 miles of Interstate 4 (I-4) through Osceola, Orange, Seminole, and Volusia counties.

To keep the ride on I-4 smooth, periodic milling and resurfacing of the asphalt is important to make repairs that can lengthen the lifespan of the road. Resurfacing is necessary when the asphalt surface has reached the end of its service life or if other methods of restoration cannot repair the roadway. A new asphalt surface will improve driving conditions as well as the aesthetics of the roadway.

Careful planning is required to complete hundreds of miles of lane resurfacing. FDOT conducts annual surveys of the entire state highway system. The data collected is used to assess the condition and performance of each roadway and predict future rehabilitation needs. Once two new resurfacing projects scheduled to begin 2021 are completed, nearly 70 miles of I-4 from the Polk-Osceola county line to Interstate 95 will have been resurfaced over a seven-year period.

• 6 miles of I-4 from Polk-Osceola county line to west of S.R. 417 is scheduled for milling and resurfacing in mid-to-late 2021.
• 8 miles of I-4 from east of S.R. 472 to S.R. 44 is scheduled for milling and resurfacing in 2021.

View or download a handout that outlines all the recent milling and resurfacing projects on I-4.