ORLANDO, Fla. — An intersection filled with screeching tires and honking horns is undergoing some changes.
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A Diverging Diamond Interchange is coming to the I-4 and Sand Lake Road interchange.
“It limits conflict points,” Ryan Flipse, the construction manager on the project, said. “It takes away the left turns across oncoming traffic. It reduces signal phasing. It essentially doubles the traffic in the intersection as it begins to flow.”
Tracy Andersen has lived in the area for about eight years and rides his unicycle through the Sand Lake intersection almost daily.
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“It’s one of the worst I’ve ever been at,” Andersen said.
He says this is one of the most problematic roads on his route.
“I don’t ever ride through unless I have good eye contact with everyone involved,” Andersen said. “Or else I better just stay on the side, it’s kind of like playing frogger.”
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The more than $219-million project has been underway since last spring.
While the Sand Lake Road Diverging Diamond is expected to go into effect overnight Friday, the interchange will not be complete until 2027.
The Florida Department of Transportation is asking everyone on the roadways and sidewalks during this time to pay attention.
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“We need them to be looking at our pavement markings, our traffic barrels, and they need to be looking at signs and signals,” Flipse said.
F-DOT is urging patience during construction.
Andersen told us these changes are welcomed.
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“They look like they would do a lot for the intersection,” Andersen said. “But it’s going to improve greatly.”
F-DOT will hold a public meeting on March 6 and 7 at 5 p.m. to discuss the project plans.
The virtual public meeting will take place on March 6 and the in-person meeting will be on March 7.
Click here for information about the meeting.
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