Interstate 4 West - Sanford to Altamonte Springs

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Sanford was originally home to the U.S. Army post Fort Mellon, an installation established during the Seminole Wars of the 1830s. Later settlers created the town of Mellonville, which grew as a distribution point for steamboat service between Lake Monroe and Jacksonville. Mellonville became the first county seat of Orange in 1845.

By 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased a large swath of land west of Mellonville with the intention of building "the Gate City of South Florida", a transportation hub for southern Florida. In 1877, the city of Sanford incorporated and by 1883, Mellonville was annexed. The Southern Florida Railroad fueled growth with its establishment to Sanford by 1884. Sanford grew as a vegetable shipping center in the early 1900s, receiving the nickname "Celery City" for its most successful crop. On April 25, 1913, Seminole County separated from Orange with Sanford as its seat. Between 1942 and 1968, Sanford Naval Air Station operated on what is now Orlando-Sanford International Airport.¹

Lake Mary entails all of the land south of CR 46A and east of Heathrow. Incorporated on August 7, 1973, the origins of Lake Mary began in January of 1923 as the Lake Mary Chamber of Commerce. The town started as the small railroad villages of Bent's Station and Belle Fountain. Now basically a bedroom community for Orlando, Lake Mary was named after the wife of a minister who settled along the lake that would become Lake Mary.⁴

Longwood began as settlements created by those who remained after the end of the second Seminole Indian War in the 1800s. Early settlers established orange groves and other crops and later shops and churches.⁵ The Downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Longwood otherwise represents a bedroom community for Orlando.

Maitland was named after Fort Maitland, an 1838 U.S. Army fort used during the Second Seminole Wars. Fort Maitland, which received its name from William Seton Maitland, a Seminole Indian war veteran, began as a rest stop between Forts Mellon (Sanford) and Gatlin (Orlando). Settlers began planting orange groves at Maitland in 1876, beginning the growth of Maitland as a town. Incorporation followed in 1885, and Maitland grew with Orlando as a tourist destination during the 20th century.⁶ Modern day Maitland is largely a bedroom community for Orlando.

West

U.S. 17/92 ascend across the St. Johns River adjacent to a CSX lift bridge and between the Port of Sanford and the Florida Power and Light plant.

02/12/24

U.S. 17/92 were realigned in 2018 to follow Monroe Road south to Upsala Road (CR 15) and SR 46 east into Sanford. They previously traveled along the south shore of Lake Monroe from nearby Central Florida Zoological Park to French Avenue outside Downtown Sanford.

02/12/24

$25.8 million in work completed in 2013 added a new loop ramp from SR 46 west to I-4 west. The ramp extended the collector distributor roadway for both the Seminole Expressway (SR 417) and H.E. Thomas, Jr. Parkway (CR 46A) northward, eliminating a weaving traffic pattern from I-4 west.²

02/12/24

Interstate 4 runs along the Sanford city line south from ahead of SR 46 to SR 417 (Seminole Expressway) / SR 429 (Wekiva Parkway).

02/12/24

SR 46 runs north into the city of Sanford by of Seminole Towne Center mall. The AMTRAK Auto Train lies further east off U.S. 17/92-SR 46 (W 1st Street).

09/13/22

Completion of Wekiva Parkway Section 8 coincided with the renumbering of Exit 101 C for SR 46 to Exit 101 D. SR 46 provides a cut off to SR 429 (Wekiva Parkway), a toll road linking with Mount Dora in Lake County and Apopka in Orange County.

02/12/24

Orange Boulevard branches southwest from U.S. 17/92 nearby to SR 46 and CR 431.

09/13/22

Exit 101 D departs I-4 west for SR 46 toward Sorrento and east to the Sanford Historic District. Split into two sections due to the construction of Wekiva Parkway, SR 46 runs east from Sanford to U.S. 1 in Mims and west from SR 453 to U.S. 441 in Mount Dora.

02/12/24

Wekiva Parkway (SR 429) and SR 417 (Seminole Expressway) come together next at a systems interchange with Interstate 4.

02/12/24

A collector distributor roadway separates from I-4 west next for Exit 101 C to SR 429 (Wekiva Parkway) west toward Mount Dora, Exit 101 B to SR 417 (Seminole Expressway) south to Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), Oviedo and east Orlando and CR 46A (H.E. Thomas, Jr. Parkway) for Heathrow and Sanford.

02/12/24

The final section of SR 429 (Wekiva Parkway) was constructed from October 2018 to Winter 2024. Completed on January 26, 2024, the toll road replaced SR 46 west to Mt. Plymouth as it connects Sanford with Mount Dora.

02/12/24

Originally a trumpet interchange joined Interstate 4 with the north end of SR 417. The Seminole Expressway east to U.S. 17/92 (Orlando Drive) in Sanford opened to traffic on September 15, 2002.³

02/12/24

54.07 miles in length, SR 417 encircles Orlando from I-4 at Exit 101 B and Sanford south to University Park, Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Celebration.

02/12/24

Exit 101 B loops eastward onto a ramp opened in December 2011 from parallel International Parkway to SR 417 south. SR 417 crosses Lake Jesup ahead of Winter Springs and Oviedo. The toll road returns to I-4 in northern Osceola County at Exit 62, west of Kissimmee.

02/12/24

The c/d roadway from SR 46 returns to Interstate 4 west from the parclo interchange (Exit 101 A) with CR 46A (H.E. Thomas, Jr. Parkway) in Lake Mary.

09/13/22

CR 46A (H.E. Thomas, Jr. Parkway) runs 10.10 miles overall between SR 46 near the Wekiva River and U.S. 17/92-SR 46 (French Avenue) in Sanford.

02/12/24

CR 46A follows H.E. Thomas, Jr. Parkway east from Orange Boulevard and Heathrow to CR 15 (Country Club Road) along the Sanford and Lake Mary city lines. CR 46A extends west from CR 431 (Orange Boulevard) along Markham Road.

03/21/08

2 photos

The Rinehart Road-Crossings Trail spans Interstate 4 between Heathrow and Lake Mary near milepost 100. The 1000 foot long suspension bridge was built in 2003 at a cost of $3.5 million.

01/08/22

09/13/22

A parclo interchange (Exit 98) follows between Interstate 4 and Lake Mary Boulevard (CR 4220).

02/12/24

Interstate 4 west parallels the Lake Mary city line southward another three miles.

03/02/22

Lake Mary Boulevard heads east from Markham Woods Road, one mile to the west of Exit 98, to the intersection of SR 46 and SR 415 in east Sanford.

02/12/24

Exit 98 departs I-4 west for Lake Mary Boulevard. The Lake Mary city center is three miles to the east, followed by Orlando Sanford International Airport (SBD) in eight miles.

02/12/24

Lake Mary Boulevard enters the unincorporated community of Heathrow west of Exit 98. Markham Woods Road runs north through Heathrow to CR 46A (H.E. Thomas Parkway) and south to SR 434 near Sanlando Springs.

02/12/24

The first of two rest areas along Interstate 4 west is one mile ahead near Sabal Point.

03/02/22

3 photos

Opened on February 26, 2022, The I-4 Express Lanes commence westbound one mile ahead of Exit 94 for SR 434.

03/02/22

E.E. Williamson Road passes over Interstate 4 west just north of the Seminole County rest area.

03/02/22

Construction on the I-4 Ultimate Express Lanes commenced in 2015. The $2.3 billion megaproject made improvements at 17 interchanges along Interstate 4 from Longwood to Orlando.

03/02/22

Toll rates along the I-4 Express Lanes vary depending on levels of traffic congestion on the general travel lanes.

03/02/22

2 photos

The I-4 Express Lanes southbound extend 20.5 miles to a point south of SR 435 (Kirkman Road) by Universal Orlando Resort.

03/02/22

09/13/22

The Seminole County Rest Area lies just beyond the beginning of the I-4 Express Lanes.

09/13/22

SR 434 west to Wekiva Springs Road north connects I-4 with Sweetwater and Wekiwa Springs State Park.

01/08/22

Meeting Interstate 4 at a parclo interchange (Exit 94) in a half mile, SR 434 loops north through the Seminole County suburbs of Forest City, Longwood, Winter Springs and Oviedo.

09/13/22

SR 434 travels 28.49 miles north from SR 423 (Young Young Parkway) and U.S. 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) by Trotters Park in Orlando to the cities of Longwood and Winter Springs, and south to the University of Central Florida (UCF) and SR 50 (Colonial Drive) at University Park.

09/13/22

Interstate 4 proceeds south past Sanlando Springs into the city of Atlamonte Springs.

09/13/22

SR 436 (Altamonte Drive) converges with Interstate 4 at Exit 92 in Altamonte Springs.

09/13/22

SR 436 (Semoran Boulevard) south to Aloma in Orange County connects with University Boulevard east to Full Sail University and the University of Central Florida (UCF) campus beyond SR 434 (Alafaya Trail).

09/13/22

SR 436 (Altamonte Drive / Semoran Boulevard) comprises an often congested arterial through Forest City, Altamonte Springs, Fern Park and Casselberry.

09/13/22

Branching east from U.S. 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) in Apopka, SR 436 comprises a 25.40 mile long arterial loop south to Orlando International Airport (MCO) at SR 528 (Beachline Expressway).

09/13/22

Downtown Apopka lies 7.5 miles to the west of Exit 92 via SR 436 (Semoran Boulevard) and U.S. 441 (OBT). The Uptown Altmamonte retail complex and Altamonte Mall line the north side of Altamonte Drive just east of I-4.

09/13/22

I-4 Ultimate project work at Exit 92 reconfigured the diamond interchange with SR 436 (Altamonte Drive) into a SPUI.

01/08/22

2 photos

The next ingress point for the I-4 Express Lanes is one mile south of SR 436 (Altamonte Drive) in south Altamonte Springs.

01/08/22

09/13/22

A directional cloverleaf interchange (Exit 90) with SR 414 (Maitland Boulevard) follows the Express Lanes entrance ramp within the city of Maitland.

09/13/22

Sound walls separate Interstate 4 from an array of apartment complexes sandwiched between the freeway and Wymore Road near Spring Lake.

09/13/22

2 photos

The I-4 Express Lanes continue uninterrupted south from Maitland to Eatonville ahead of Exit 88 for SR 423 (Lee Road).

09/13/22

SR 414 (Maitland Boulevard) comprises a well traveled arterial and expressway across northern reaches of Maitland, southwest Altamonte Springs and unincorporated Lockhart.

09/13/22

SR 414 (Maitland Boulevard) comprises a well traveled arterial and expressway across northern reaches of Maitland, southwest Altamonte Springs and unincorporated Lockhart.

09/13/22

Interstate 4 travels 14.13 miles south through western Seminole County to the city of Maitland at the Orange County line.

09/13/22

References:

History, City of Sanford, Florida. ~~http://www.ci.sanford.fl.us/ wt/wtmain.html~~
407573-1 I-4 Interchange at SR 46. ~~http://www.cflroads.com/ project/407573-1/i-4_ interchange_at_sr_46~~ Central Florida Expressway (CFX) web site.
Florida State Road 417. Wikipedia.org.
History, City of Lake Mary, Florida. ~~http://www.lakemaryfl.com/ history.cfm~~
History, City of Longwood, Florida. ~~http://www.ci.longwood.fl.us/ historic_info/historic_info.asp~~
History, City of Maitland, Florida. ~~http://www.itsmymaitland.com/ maitland_history.asp~~.