Interstate 4 West - Maitland to Orlando
Winter Park was established as a winter resort for wealthy northerners in 1887. Named by its founders Loring Chase and Oliver Chapman, because it was a park in winter for those who vacationed, Winter Park incorporated in 1925. In more recent history, a large sinkhole swallowed almost an entire city block in 1981. The city acquired the land around the city hole, stabilized it, and turned the 90 foot deep hole into a man-made lake.1
Orlando began as the U.S. Army Fort Gatlin in 1838 during the Seminole Wars. The small settlement of Jernigan accompanied the fort by 1840, and it received a post office by 1850. In 1857, as the village expanded, Jernigan was renamed Orlando. Incorporation followed by 1875.2 In 1880, the South Florida Railroad joined Orlando with Sanford and points north. The arrival of rail cars fueled the citrus industry of Orlando and in turn the growth of Orlando into a town and the eventual seat of Orange County. By the 1920s Orlando boasted over 10,000 residents, and during World War II, the city became a military town with the establishment of Army Air Corps training fields and air bases at the Municipal Airport and Pine Castle. The 1950s brought the Glenn L. Martin Company and its technologies, of which were used to build missiles during the Cold War. 60,000 lived in Orlando by 1960.3
West
Maitland Boulevard leads SR 414 west 6.21 miles from U.S. 17/92 (Orlando Avenue) to U.S. 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) near Piedmont. SR 414 extends west from OBT along the tolled John Land Apopka Expressway 9.58 miles to SR 429 (Wekiva Parkway) and U.S. 441 in Apopka. The toll road opened initially west to SR 429 in May 2009 and was completed to OBT in January 2013.
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The Redesigned I-4/Maitland Boulevard Interchange project added Exit 90 C for Lake Destiny Road and Exits 90 B/A for SR 414. Previously a single ramp connected I-4 west with Maitland Boulevard at a signalized intersection.
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New roadways were built for SR 414 (Maitland Boulevard) across Interstate 4 in 2017-18. Separating through traffic from local traffic to the adjacent office parks, Maitland Boulevard was also upgraded to a limited access expressway west across Lake Destiny Road, Keller Road and Maitland Summit Boulevard.
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Interstate 4 progresses 1.5 miles south from SR 414 (Maitland Boulevard) to the diamond interchange (Exit 88) with SR 423 (Lee Road).
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The succeeding three exits from the general travel lanes along Interstate 4 west serve the city of Winter Park.
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The Express Lanes continue past Winter Park to Ivanhoe Boulevard at College Park in Orlando.
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Lake Destiney Road and Wymore Road accompany Interstate 4 south into the town of Eatonville.
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SR 423 along Lee Road connects I-4 with the Winter Park and Eatonville Historic Districts between U.S. 17/92 and U.S. 441 (OBT).
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I-4 passes over CR 438A (Kennedy Boulevard) ahead of the entrance ramp for the Express Lanes to Orlando.
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SR 423 follows Lee Road east 1.50 miles from Exit 88 to U.S. 17/92 (Orlando Avenue) northeast of Lake Killarney in Winter Park. 7.53 miles in length, SR 423 arcs south from Lee Road and U.S. 441 along John Young Parkway to the Holland East-West Expressway (SR 408) in Orlando.
09/13/22
Construction completed in September 2013 extended John Young Parkway north from SR 423 (Lee Road) and OBT at Trotters Park to SR 434 (Forest City Road). Meeting Interstate 4 again at Exit 79 near Clear Lake, SR 423 transitions into CR 423 (John Young Parkway) south of SR 408 (East-West Expressway).
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The auxiliary lane added westbound from the SR 414 (Maitland Boulevard) entrance ramp drops ahead of the SR 423 (Lee Road) underpass.
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Fairbanks Avenue (SR 426) meets Interstate 4 at a diamond interchange (Exit 87) near Little Lake Fairview. The multi lane boulevard runs between Edgewater Drive (SR 424) and Osceola Avenue in Winter Park.
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Fairbanks Avenue leads east to Rollins College south of Historic Downtown Winter Park, adjacent to Lake Virginia.
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Wymore Road passes under Interstate 4 again beyond this confirming marker by the Fairview Shores community.
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SR 426 heads northeast 14.53 miles from SR 424 (Edgewater Drive) near Lake Fairview to SR 434 (Central Avenue) at Oviedo.
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Interstate 4 enters north Orlando ahead of the diamond interchange (Exit 85) with Princeton Street.
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A half diamond interchange (Exit 86) adds traffic from Par Street to I-4 west beyond this shield assembly.
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Princeton Street (unsigned CR 438) heads west from Exit 85 through the College Park neighborhood, becoming apart of SR 438 through Fairvilla in 1.78 miles.
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I-4 Ultimate interchange improvements at Par and Princeton Streets lengthened all respective ramps.
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Princeton Street intersects parallel SR 527 (N Orange Avenue) two blocks east of Exit 85. Relinquished south of SR 50, State Road 527 followed the original Dixie Highway through Downtown Orlando.
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SR 438 extends 10.14 miles west from Princeton Street and College Park in Orlando to Pine Hills, Ocoee and SR 429 (Western Beltway) along the Winter Garden city line.
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Advancing south to Lake Ivanhoe, I-4 Ultimate project work westbound added exit ramps from the I-4 general travel lanes to Ivanhoe Boulevard east of Lakeview Street (CR 424) and from the I-4 Express Lanes to Ivanhoe Boulevard at SR 527 (Orange Avenue).
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Continuing south toward Downtown Orlando, the succeeding exits join I-4 with Ivanhoe Boulevard (unsigned CR 424) and U.S. 17/92-SR 50 (Colonial Drive). A collector distributor originally served both ramps. I-4 Ultimate road work replaced the loop ramp (Exit 84 B) for Ivanhoe Boulevard with a linear ramp to the north.
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Shifting southwest through an S-curve, Interstate 4 crosses Lake Ivanhoe and eastern reaches of Lake Concord.
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Exit 84 B originally consisted of a parclo B2 interchange with Ivanhoe Boulevard. U.S. 17/92-SR 50 (Colonial Drive) meet I-4 just south of College Park on the northwest side of Downtown.
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Guide signs for Exit 84 A omit U.S. 17/92, which combine with SR 50 (Colonial Drive) for 1.90 miles between U.S. 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) near Spring Lake and SR 15 (Mills Avenue) by the Colonial Town neighborhood.
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Hughey Avenue extends south from Exit 84 A and Colonial Drive alongside I-4 to Bob Carr Theater at Livingston Street and SR 526 at Robinson and Washington Streets.
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SR 50 along Colonial Drive is a major arterial running across the Orlando area west to Ocoee, Winter Garden and Oakland and east to Union Park, Alafaya and Bithlo.
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The c/d roadway (Exit 84 A) for U.S. 17-92-SR 50 was converted to the general travel lanes for Interstate 4 west through the single point urban interchange (SPUI) constructed at Colonial Drive. The rebuilt center lanes became the Express toll lanes.
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Interstate 4 elevates onto a pair of three lane viaducts along the west side of Downtown Orlando. A left side ramp to South Street (former Exit 83) was replaced during SR 408 interchange construction in 2008 with a new right side ramp (Exit 83) to Anderson Street by the Amway Center.
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High rises in Downtown Orlando rise to the east of Interstate 4 and north of the Holland East-West Expressway (SR 408). I-4 Ultimate work raised the vertical clearance of the elevated roadways.
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Flyovers link the I-4 Express Lanes with the elevated ramps to SR 408 (East-West Expressway).
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Originally built between 1966 and 1973, SR 408 provided a bypass of SR 50 (Colonial Drive) for through traffic across the Orlando metro area.5The toll road is maintained by the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX).
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Exit 82 leaves I-4 west for SR 408 (East-West Expressway) by Kia Center, home of the NBA Orlando Magic. Exit 83 follows for Anderson Street.
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The flyovers joining I-4 west with SR 408 opened to traffic on May 18, 2020. SR 408 travels across the heart of Orlando between Ocoee, Pine Hills, Downtown and University Park.
01/08/22
Anderson Street east leads from Exit 83 toward the Downtown Orlando Historic District, City Hall and Church Street Station.
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SR 408 west leaves the city of Orlando through Pine Hills, Orlo Vista and Park Ridge. The toll road provides a direct route to Florida's Turnpike at Ocoee. Passing south of Downtown Orlando, SR 408 east continues to Lake Underhill, Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) and Azalea Park beyond the city limits.
05/22/20
I-4 Ultimate construction eliminated the parclo interchange with Kaley Avenue. Half diamond interchanges with extended ramps were built, joining I-4 west with Michigan Street and east with Kaley Avenue.
09/13/22
Construction completed in Fall 2008 built the first portion of the systems interchange joining I-4 and SR 408 (East-West Expressway). This included a new half diamond interchange (Exit 82 B) at Anderson Street, a new overpass for Anderson Street and the removal of the westbound exits for South Street and Gore Street (closed February 10, 20084).
01/08/22
All but the flyover joining SR 408 west with I-4 west opened to traffic by May 18, 2020 as part of the I-4 Ultimate upgrade of the exchange.
09/13/22
Entrance ramps from SR 408 (East-West Expressway) join Interstate 4 west ahead of this shield assembly. The first ramp built at the systems exchange between the two routes opened on February 12, 2008 from SR 408 east to I-4 east.
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Completing access from I-4 to Rio Grande Terrace, the Clear Lake area and SoDo, Texas U-turns link the two sets of ramps at Exit 81 for Michigan Street and Kaley Avenue.
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Michigan Street travels between Rio Grande Avenue and Bass Lake in Orlando. A second section leads east from Bass Lake to SR 436 (Semoran Boulevard).
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Exit 81 leaves I-4 west for Michigan Street, which intersects U.S. 17-92-441 (Orange Blossom Trail) three blocks to the west. OBT leads north to Parramore and Camping World Stadium.
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The ensuing ingress point for the I-4 Express Lanes falls within the directional cloverleaf interchange connecting Interstate 4 with U.S. 17-92-441 (Orange Blossom Trail).
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U.S. 17-92-441 (OBT) combine from W Colonial Drive (SR 50) in Orlando to Kissimmee in Osceola County. OBT constitutes an often congested commercial arterial south from I-4 to Edgewood, the Lake Jessamine area, Florida Mall and Hunters Creek in south Orange County.
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The I-4 Express Lanes continue south to Florida's Turnpike in southwest Orlando near Oak Ridge.
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A directional ramp built at Exit 80 replaced the left exit for OBT south from I-4 west as part of the I-4 Ultimate megaproject. U.S. 17 and U.S. 441 stay east of Interstate 4 on respective courses southward to Winter Haven and St. Cloud while U.S. 92 continues paralleling I-4 west to Tampa.
09/13/22
References:
- History, City of Winter Park, Florida.
http://www.ci.winter-park.fl.us/ 2005/govt/history.shtml - City of Orlando History.
http://www.cityoforlando.net/ cityclerk/history.htm - ORLANDO history images pictures.
http://www.cfhf.net/orlando/index1.htmCentral Florida Heritage Foundation. - "Users of Gore St. exit will need to find new route." The Orlando Sentinel (FL), February 9, 2008.
- Florida State Road 408. Wikipedia.org.
- "The new Kirkman Road exit on I-4 opens today." Orlando Weekly (FL), October 30, 2017.
- "Disney Springs ramp from Interstate 4 opens." Orlando Sentinel (FL), October 9, 2015.
Photo Credits:
- Alex Nitzman: 09/13/22
- Brent Ivy: 01/08/22
- ABRoads: 05/22/20
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Page Updated Tuesday September 20, 2022.