As he looked out on the construction site of the Interstate 4 (I-4) and State Road (S.R.) 528 (Beachline Expressway) ramp widening project, Superintendent Jake Wingrove smiled.

“I’ve always been kind of drawn to construction, to building things,” Wingrove said. “My father was in construction, on the electrical side of it, but even as a kid, growing up, I always loved it. I was always building something with my hands — forts, model cars, you name it.”

His passion led Wingrove to the University of Nebraska, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering. Originally, he wanted to work in vertical construction, helping to build tall buildings. But his work during a civil engineering internship in college changed his mind and fueled his desire to get into road construction.

“I saw what it was like to work on a project that is 5 to 7 miles long and how you have to figure out how to put the pieces together to make something that not only benefits yourself but the community as a whole,” Wingrove said.

Wingrove started out as an engineer and then transitioned to a superintendent role. His typical day consists of checking in with the construction crews under his leadership and daily meetings to make sure the project stays on schedule and on budget.

He says the sense of responsibility both thrills and motivates him every day.

“When you start a project and see it through from start to finish, get to hand it over to the public, and see the public using the new improvements, and it not only adds convenience, but also improvement and safety to the community, there’s no greater feeling,” Wingrove said. “It’s a great feeling of satisfaction to know that you’ve done something useful for your city.”

The improvements at S.R. 528 add capacity by widening the westbound I-4 ramp to eastbound S.R. 528 from one to two lanes. It’s a complex project that has its ups and downs, says Wingrove.

“The hardest part of a construction project is often balancing the time pressures with the absolute mandate for safety and quality work,” Wingrove said.

He says thorough planning is the best way to meet that challenge.

“If you have proper plans in place, such as plans for safety checklists, the correct crew size, and all the required materials on hand, you’ll be on the right track,” Wingrove said. “The amount of planning that goes into the smallest details on a project days, weeks, even months before a shovel goes into the ground may shock a few people. But if you have completed all your prior planning, everything you do goes step by step and goes well because you’ve already thought it through.”

When he isn’t on the construction site, Wingrove says he enjoys going to the beach with his wife, watching his favorite sports teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Orlando Magic, and doing construction projects around his house.