Interstate 4

Interstate 4 angles northeast across the Florida peninsula, traveling 132 miles from Tampa to Lakeland, Orlando and Daytona Beach. The intrastate route serves major population areas in Central Florida along the U.S. 92 corridor. Heavy development along the freeway over the years resulted in several toll roads to provide alternate routes and relief, including the Central Florida GreeneWay / Seminole Expressway (bypass to the east of Orlando), Daniel Webster Western Beltway / Wekiva Parkway (bypass to the west of Orlando), and Polk Parkway around Lakeland. Additionally much of the freeway was expanded to six or more lanes, with the final four lane stretch in Volusia County expanded by Summer 2015.

Interstate 4 Florida Guides

Commencing in 2015, $2.3 billion in road work expanded 21 miles of I-4 through Orange and Seminole Counties with two Express toll lanes in each direction. Ther I-4 Ultimate Project included the modification of 15 interchanges. The new toll lanes through the I-4 Ultimate Project area opened to traffic on February 26, 2022.

Separate work underway from June 2018 to 2022 added new flyovers directly linking Florida's Turnpike with Interstate 4. This construction was part of an $85 million project expanding the Turnpike to ten general use lanes from the Beachline Expressway (SR 528) north to I-4. Included was the installation of six new all electronic tolling points and the removal of toll booths along the ramp system connecting the Turnpike with I-4.

Four roadways, two of the I-4 mainline and two consisting of c/d lanes, come into view south of the wye interchange between Interstate 4 and SR 417 (Central Florida Greeneway). 02/16/08

Ramps between I-4, U.S. 192 and Osceola Parkway were unraveled as part of road work completed by winter 2014. This view looks north at the overpass built from I-4 east to Osceola Parkway. 06/29/13

The result from when an accident hampers traffic during the evening commute along Interstate 4. April 29, 2008 looking south from Lake Mary Boulevard at I-4.

Routine traffic congestion along Interstate 4 through Maitland. 03/20/08

Construction of Interstate 4 occurred between 1958 and 1966. I-4 was dedicated in Tampa at a ribbon cutting ceremony held on October 5, 1964, when the last segment between Armenia Avenue and I-75, formally opened. The entire length doubles as hidden State Road 400, with SR 400 extending east from I-95 as an at-grade route to U.S. 1 in Daytona Beach.

Bids were opened by the Florida State Road Department on a 5.2 mile long section of State Road 400 leading east from U.S. 92 (Hillsborough Avenue) outside Tampa on November 26, 1957 ("Bids Asked", 1957). The next section of Interstate highway construction got underway on February 11, 1958. Costing $1,852,373, the 5.2 mile long section extended east from the junction of U.S. 92/301. The second phase of the link between U.S. 301 and Plant City went to bid for construction on February 18, 1958. This eight mile long segment tied into a previously built portion of limited access highway built on the north side of Plant City ("Work Starts Tuesday", 1958). The 4.75-mile long section at Plant City cost $2,467,083. It connected with with a $1,145,820, 2.8 mile long segment constructed east from the Hillsborough-Polk line toward Lakeland ("Work Starts On", 1957).

The first section of substantial Interstate highway construction in Florida was the 9.2 mile long segment of I-4 linking Plant City and Lakeland. $3.9 million in road work was completed in Fall 1958. $4.5 million in additional work extending the initial section west 13.7 miles toward Tampa (Blizin, 1959) was nearly finished by the weekend of November 13, 1959 (Delaney, 1959). Construction on a six mile long section of Interstate 4 in Polk County, one of the final contracts between Tampa and Orlando, got underway on December 1, 1959. The $1,634,254 contract built the four lane freeway from a point east of SR 33 northeast of Lakeland to a point east of what was the State Road 599 extension. Costing $1,600,714, work started on an additional section of I-4 on November 18, 1959 in Polk and Osceola Counties ("Polk Interstate Highway", 1959). The contract for the 4.8 mile long section had a completion date of October 1960 (Blizin, 1959).

The St. Johns River Veterans Memorial Bridges at Lake Monroe were built during a $110 million project that included widening seven miles of I-4 north from CR 46A at Sanford to Saxon Boulevard in Deltona.^2,3 Replacing a 56 foot wide, four-lane span built in 1960 for $1 million, work on the twin 58 foot wide bridges across the St. Johns River started on March 17, 2001.^3,4 The westbound span opened initially for traffic exiting to U.S. 17/92 in January 2003,⁵ and with two lanes for the I-4 mainline on April 28, 2003.³ Following completion of the approaches, the eastbound span opened with two lanes on the morning of June 28, 2003. Nine months of demolition work for the old span commenced in July 2003.⁴ Construction at the St. Johns River wrapped up on May 25, 2004, when the third eastbound lane opened. Widening of I-4 westbound was finished in March 2003; work on eastbound to Saxon Boulevard continued through Summer 2003.²

scenes

McIntosh Road meets Interstate 4 at a rural diamond interchange (Exit 14) south of Antioch. 03/17/21

Trailblazer for Interstate 4 posted at Westwood Boulevard south and Central Florida Parkway near SeaWorld Orlando. 04/26/15

Central Florida Parkway weaves west between SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove to connect with Interstate 4 westbound beyond Westwood Boulevard. 04/26/15

The high-speed flyover linking Central Florida Parkway west with Interstate 4 west opened to traffic in 1990. There is no access to I-4 east at this exchange. 04/26/15

Interstate 4 passes below the Central Florida Parkway flyover with eight overall lanes. Section 2 of the I-4 Beyond the Ultimate megaproject will complete the exchange here with new ramps leading to I-4 east and from I-4 west. 04/26/15

Central Florida Parkway ends just west of I-4 across from Big Sand Lake. Palm Parkway south and Turkey Lake Road north parallel the west side of the freeway between Lake Buena Vista and Dr. Phillips. 04/26/15

A trumpet style interchange connects the Universal Orlando parking garage exit with Universal Boulevard on the north side of Interstate 4. Motorists headed to I-4 west are directed onto Hollywood Way and Adventure Way south. 08/10/13

Two lanes loop onto Universal Boulevard south across Interstate 4 ahead of the eastbound on-ramp to Downtown Orlando and International Drive. 08/10/13

Crossing over I-4, Universal Boulevard intersects the east side freeway ramps. 08/10/13

Approaching Division Avenue along Gore Street westbound in Orlando. Interstate 4 passes overhead in the distance. A new flyover was added by 2008 from I-4 east to South Street. 11/05/06

Travelers destined to Interstate 4 east are directed onto Division Avenue north to Anderson Street east. Division Avenue passes underneath both Interstate 4 and SR 408 (East-West Expressway) with no direct access to either freeway. 11/05/06

Gore Street west at the westbound on-ramp to Interstate 4. The on-ramp utilizes the roadway connecting SR 408 and I-4. Until 2008 an off-ramp also connected I-4 with Gore Street. It was removed as part of the I-4 / SR 408 interchange upgrade project. 11/05/06

Hughey Avenue forms the west side service road for I-4 between Colonial Drive (U.S. 17/92-SR 50) and South Street by Downtown Orlando. 09/01/18

The entrance ramp for I-4 west from Hughey Avenue outside Downtown Orlando joins the freeway beyond Amelia Street. 05/22/20

Previously the last state-named shield for Interstate 4, this assembly was posted on Ivanhoe Boulevard south ahead of Lakeview Street just west of I-4. 07/29/06, 01/25/08

Ivanhoe Boulevard encircles Lake Ivanhoe to the west of I-4. Lakeview Street and Ivanhoe Boulevard between Edgewater Drive and I-4 are a part of unsigned CR 424. 07/29/06

Par Street east meets Interstate 4 at a half diamond interchange just east of Bonita Park in Orlando. Motorists headed for I-4 east are directed onto Formosa Avenue north to connect with the on-ramp from SR 426 (Fairbanks Avenue). 01/25/08

I-4 Ultimate construction lengthens the westbound on-ramp from Par Street and realigns the eastbound off-ramp over Dade Avenue. 01/25/08

SR 426 (Fairbanks Avenue) east at the westbound entrance ramp to Interstate 4 in Orlando. 12/29/05

Guide signs partition traffic along Lake Emma Road north ahead of the triple left turn lanes for Lake Mary Boulevard west to Interstate 4. 03/06/08

Entering the exchange with Interstate 4 along Lake Mary Boulevard west of Primera Boulevard north and Lake Emma Road south. 02/29/08

Lake Mary Boulevard joins Interstate 4 with Heathrow to the west and Lake Mary to the east. The busy six-ramp parclo interchange features separate ramps from eastbound onto both directions of I-4. 02/12/24

Improvements were made at the intersection of Lake Mary Boulevard and the I-4 eastbound off-ramp in winter 2008. Just east from there, Lake Mary Boulevard meets Lake Emma Road south and Primera Boulevard north. Both roads parallel I-4 to the east by a number of office parks, shopping centers, and apartment complexes. 09/03/17

The folded diamond interchange joining Dirksen Drive (CR 4162) with Interstate 4 was originally built next to a Florida East Coast Railroad line. The extended overpasses for I-4 span the former right of way for the removed line. 02/12/24

Dirksen Drive connects Enterprise with Interstate 4 west across western reaches of Lake Monroe to Sanford. 02/12/24

CR 4162 (Dirksen Drive) continues two miles west from the exchange with Interstate 4 to Gemini Springs Park and U.S. 17/92 at Benson Junction Road in DeBary. 02/12/24

A superfluous trailblazer for Interstate 4 appears along the entrance ramp from Dirksen Drive to the freeway west. 02/12/24

• 12/29/05 by AARoads.
• 07/29/06 by AARoads and Justin Cozart.
• 11/05/06 by AARoads and Justin Cozart.
• 01/25/08 by AARoads.
• 02/29/08 by AARoads.
• 03/06/08 by AARoads.
• 08/10/13 by AARoads.
• 04/26/15 by AARoads.
• 09/03/17 by AARoads.
• 09/01/18 by AARoads.
• 05/22/20 by AARoads.
• 03/17/21 by AARoads.
• 02/12/24 by AARoads and JP Nasiatka.

Connect with:
Interstate 75
Interstate 95
Interstate 275
Florida's Turnpike
U.S. 17
U.S. 41
U.S. 92
U.S. 192
U.S. 301
U.S. 441
State Road 44
State Road 50
State Road 408 - Spessard Lindsay Holland East-West Expwy
State Road 414 - Apopka Expressway / Maitland Boulevard
State Road 417 - Central Florida GreeneWay / Seminole Expressway
State Road 429 - Western Beltway / Apopka Expwy / Wekiva Pkwy
State Road 570 - Polk Parkway

Page Updated 02-15-2024.