Florida I-4 Ultimate Improvement project receives Envision Platinum recognition

The Interstate 4 (I-4) Ultimate Improvement Project in central Florida earned the Envision Platinum recognition from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) for its sustainability efforts of environmental, social and economic impact on the community and the 21-mile I-4 reconstruction project. This is the first project in Florida to receive recognition from ISI’s Envision sustainable infrastructure rating system.

The I-4 Ultimate Project involves the reconstruction of 21 miles of roadway infrastructure from west of Kirkman Road in Orange County, Florida, through downtown Orlando, Florida, extending to the east of State Road 434 in Seminole County, Florida.

The I-4 Mobility Partners (I-4MP), the public-private partnership rebuilding Interstate 4 through Central Florida, earned the Envision Platinum award for its ongoing programs to minimize environmental impacts, including recycling 99 percent of the concrete and steel removed from roads and bridges, relocating protected wildlife, using efficient machinery, controlling stormwater runoff and planting non-invasive vegetation. The project also facilitates the use of alternative transportation by integrating rail projects and improving pedestrian crossings and connections with bike trails.

A benefit of the project will be the improvement of traffic flow by easing congestion with the addition of four new variable toll express lanes and the reconstruction of 15 major interchanges, which includes widening 13 bridges, replacing 74 bridges and adding 53 new bridges, along with a pedestrian overpass on Kirkman Road and a signature pedestrian bridge at Maitland interchange.

Several industry leaders formed the I-4MP team to design, build, finance and operate the project through a 40-year public-private partnership concession agreement with a total design and construction cost of $2.32 billion dollars.

The members of the I-4MP team include:

• Skanska Infrastructure Development, New York City;
• John Laing Investments Limited, New York City;
• SGL Constructors (SGL), a construction joint venture between Skanska, Granite Construction Company, Wastonville, California, and the Lane Construction Corporation, Cheshire, Connecticut;
• HDR, Omaha, Nebraska, and Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Pasadena, California; and
• Infrastructure Corporation of America, Omaha, Nebraska.

“Since day one, our entire team has been committed to achieving the highest standards for sustainable infrastructure under Envision,” says Sal Taddeo, chief operating officer East, Skanska USA Civil. “Our goal is to deliver one of the country’s most complex roadway projects, while reaching a top level of sustainable infrastructure performance that can serve as a role model for other projects of its kind.”