Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[bic]

"This photo of I-4 in downtown Orlando was taken in the early 1960s. At left center is the Anderson Street bridge. Colonial Drive is near the bottom. The I-4 section between Church Street and Washington Street was built as one long bridge. The area underneath the bridge still provides parking for many businesses on Hughey and Garland avenues."

[codypet]

"This photo of I-4 in downtown Orlando was taken in the early 1960s. At left center is the Anderson Street bridge. Colonial Drive is near the bottom. The I-4 section between Church Street and Washington Street was built as one long bridge. The area underneath the bridge still provides parking for many businesses on Hughey and Garland avenues."

looks like the highway ends at the old Robinson St exit that just recently closed.

[bulldogger]

Mooo

[JRS1]

that new exit for I-4 WB works well at Amelia & Hughey. great photo.

[JRS1]

construction has started (probably a few weeks back) on the SR 50 widening and bridge project at 436. passed by it earlier. exciting. completion in 2011 I think.

LYMMO-- are they putting in Lymmo lanes out by where the new arena is going?

[bic]

"Motorists in downtown Orlando may encounter rolling roadblocks on Interstate 4 in both directions beginning early Monday morning, March 10.

Rolling roadblocks are used to pace traffic at a safe speed, providing a gap in traffic to allow work activities to be performed.

The rolling roadblocks will occur nightly between midnight and 4 a.m. for two weeks, weather permitting, while structures are erected over the interstate. Among the structures that will be installed are the girders for the new Anderson Street bridge."

[orlandonative]

Where the hell is the 408WB to I-4WB flyover going to go? I guess you could curve it around the retention pond there at Anderson. Anyone have the renderings handy?

[Topher1]

I'm too lazy to extract/host the renderings from the pdf on www.trans4mation.org, but according to those renderings, the ramp for 408 W to I-4 W will remain the same in this first phase of construction. Also, the ramp from I-4 E to 408 E will also stay the way it is for now. They're calling this phase the "interim" interchange, which likely means it'll stay this way for a while before final construction is implemented.

The final design is stacked, with the additional ramps soaring above the current construction. In fact, it's a lot more compact design than the current interchange, freeing up a decent amount of land...

Go to trans4mation.org, hover over "I-4 Improvements," then "Plans and Designs", and click on "Ultimate Trans4mation" to see the final design (or someone less lazy can post it)...

Edited March 7, 2008 by Topher1

[JRS1]

Where the hell is the 408WB to I-4WB flyover going to go? I guess you could curve it around the retention pond there at Anderson. Anyone have the renderings handy?

it's not going to be like the 408 EB to I-4 EB loop ramp. It's going to be a bridge that goes west then SW criss-crossing over I-4 below and then links up with I-4 around where that double trumpet links up now. it's going to be tall.

[orlandonative]

Thats right, I remember all the talk of 90' flyovers. So it sounds like that infamous cluster f*ck to get on the 408 isin't going anywhere anytime soon?

[neon9]

Thats right, I remember all the talk of 90' flyovers. So it sounds like that infamous cluster f*ck to get on the 408 isin't going anywhere anytime soon?

halfa$$ed.

[cwetteland]

halfa$$ed.

More like, "half done." That's why it's called phase 1. The EB & WB 408 to EB I-4 will take some of the cars out of the osmosis lanes, so they should operate a little bit better. Also, some of what needs to be added in the next phase cannot be added until I-4 gets widened. It wouldn't make much sense to do that now only to have to tear it up in a few years.

[VistaLakes01]

More like, "half done." That's why it's called phase 1. The EB & WB 408 to EB I-4 will take some of the cars out of the osmosis lanes, so they should operate a little bit better. Also, some of what needs to be added in the next phase cannot be added until I-4 gets widened. It wouldn't make much sense to do that now only to have to tear it up in a few years.

Almost every new interchange renovation or interchanges are done in phases. I'm sure once phase I is complete, phase II will be right behind. Phase I is done to make it easier to complete phase II. Plus the whole widening and rebuilding of I-4 probably has a lot to do with it, maybe there are parts of I-4 that don't exist yet where those ramps are going to merge.

[neon9]

What is the plan for I-4? One more lane each way DT for the final build out? I know FDOT has a restriction for 10-12 lanes max....

[mgsports]

What I mean is you will get thru Orlando faster now. Now if they can make I-4 that all the way from Daytona Beach to Tampa Bay that would be good with Light Rail part of it.

LA theirs to many Chase going on their.

Edited March 9, 2008 by mgsports

[Whipp]

I-4 becoming the Freeway in LA but in a East Coast version?

W

T

F

?

[neon9]

I-4 becoming the Freeway in LA but in a East Coast version?

FDOT won't allow it. I've never driven in LA, but there are some places in Houston where there are 10-12 lanes each way, and it's still congested. Just makes people spread out more, if that is possible.

[uncreativeusername]

Haha - I love how anyone from somewhere other than Orlando would look at the above photo and wonder what directionally-impairing drug we were all smoking...east/west, east/west.

[pip]

Haha - I love how anyone from somewhere other than Orlando would look at the above photo and wonder what directionally-impairing drug we were all smoking...east/west, east/west.

[go_vertical]

I was driving on Boggy Creek Rd. a few days and noticed what looked like a hydrogen fueling station just south of 528. Could this have anything to do with the buses at Seaworld or are there any other tests/experiments with hydrogen being done in the area? The "station" was clearly set up for a fleet of trucks.

Edited March 9, 2008 by go_vertical

[orlandonative]

Haha - I love how anyone from somewhere other than Orlando would look at the above photo and wonder what directionally-impairing drug we were all smoking...east/west, east/west.

Great eye.

[cwetteland]

Almost every new interchange renovation or interchanges are done in phases. I'm sure once phase I is complete, phase II will be right behind. Phase I is done to make it easier to complete phase II. Plus the whole widening and rebuilding of I-4 probably has a lot to do with it, maybe there are parts of I-4 that don't exist yet where those ramps are going to merge.

My point exactly!

[neon9]

With oil near record highs, here is a related laugh this morning from the Daily Show...

Video from Crooks and Liars

Remember the oil crisis of the 90's?

[bulldogger]

I was driving on Boggy Creek Rd. a few days and noticed what looked like a hydrogen fueling station just south of 528. Could this have anything to do with the buses at Seaworld or are there any other tests/experiments with hydrogen being done in the area? The "station" was clearly set up for a fleet of trucks.

Ford has a small fleet of hydrogen cars that is being used by the DOT and another organization that I don't recall at this time. If I remember correctly, Ford decided to test their hydrogen cars in the Detroit and Orlando areas with 12 cars each or 6 cars each. Last year or the year prior, I believe they started another small fleet in either Virginia or DC. Sorry, but you'll have to google for the exacts on this subject.

[facilities man]

Ford has a small fleet of hydrogen cars that is being used by the DOT and another organization that I don't recall at this time. If I remember correctly, Ford decided to test their hydrogen cars in the Detroit and Orlando areas with 12 cars each or 6 cars each. Last year or the year prior, I believe they started another small fleet in either Virginia or DC. Sorry, but you'll have to google for the exacts on this subject.

Progress Energy has a couple.