Interstate 4

Interstate 4 (I-4) is an intrastate Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Florida. Located entirely in the Sunshine State, I-4 travels in the physical southwest/northeast axis passing through the central Florida cities including Tampa, Brandon, Plant City, Polk City, Lakeland, Kissimmee, Orlando, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Sanford, Deltona, Orange City, DeLand, and Daytona Beach. I-4 spans approximately 133 miles (214 kilometers) across Central Florida from its western terminus at Interstate 275 in Tampa, then Orlando with its north-south direction, and to its eastern terminus at Interstate 95 in Daytona Beach. I-4 is entirely concurrent with State Road 400 (FL 400). In Daytona Beach, where I-4 terminates at I-95, FL 400 continues as a surface road for roughly another 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) and ends at an intersection with U.S. Route 1 on the city line of Daytona Beach and South Daytona. I-4 is known to Floridians to have a service linking to Walt Disney World in and near Orlando. I-4 also parallels U.S. Route 92 (US 92), which also goes to Orlando and link service to Walt Disney World. Interstate 404 (I-404) is the only auxiliary route of I-4. I-404 is a loop expressway serving the eastern suburbs of Orlando, which carries the hidden designation of State Road 417 (FL 417).

Construction on I-4 began in 1958; the first segment opened in 1959, and the entire highway was completed in 1965. The "I-4 Ultimate" project, currently in progress, will oversee the construction of variable-toll express lanes and numerous redevelopments through the 21-mile (34 km) stretch of highway extending from FL 435 (Kirkman Road) at exit 75 in Orlando to FL 434 at exit 94 in Longwood. The project broke ground in 2015, and is scheduled to be completed in 2021. Previously, the median of I-4 between Tampa and Orlando was the planned route of a now-cancelled high-speed rail line, the Florida High Speed Corridor. From a political standpoint, the "I-4 corridor" is a strategic region given the large number of undecided voters in a large swing state.

Route description

Hillsborough and Polk counties

I-4 Begins its eastward journey at Interstate 275 in Tampa, an interchange also known as "Malfunction Junction". It goes eastward just North of Ybor City, and at Mile 2 it makes an interchange with a connector to the Port of Tampa Bay and FL 618, also known as the Selmon Expressway. Then, it makes a turn Northeastward after U.S. Route 41 (US 41) or also called N 50th St. Then, it continues eastward past the Florida State Fairgrounds towards a Turbine Interchange with Interstate 75.

After passing near the eastern suburbs of Hillsborough County—including Brandon and Plant City—it enters Polk County at Mile 25 where I-4 crosses along the north side of Lakeland. Interstate 204 forms a semi-loop through Lakeland's southern suburbs and returns to I-4 at the Florida Polytechnic University campus, near Polk City; it does not serve as a bypass route. Just after the western junction with I-204, I-4 turns from an eastward to a northeastward heading. Between Exits 38 and 55, I-4 passes through the fog-prone Green Swamp, although the landscape beside the highway is mostly forest as opposed to water-logged swampland. Ten variable-message signs and dozens of cameras & vehicle detection systems monitor this stretch of mostly-rural highway as a result of several large, deadly pile-ups caused by dense fog.

Osceola and Orange counties

At mile 57, I-4 enters Osceola County and soon thereafter intersects the Orlando area's beltways: the incomplete Western Expressway (FL 429) on the western side and I-404, the Central Florida GreeneWay (FL 417) which rounds the eastern side before returning to I-4 in Sanford.

Additionally, an exit to World Drive (signed as just "Disney World") runs north as a limited-access highway into Walt Disney World Resort and an electric pylon in the shape of Mickey Mouse can be seen on the southwest corner of the intersection. The single GreeneWay/World Drive exit (Exit 62) also marks an abrupt change from rural to suburban/urban landscape. The highway passes beside Celebration and Kissimmee on the east side and Walt Disney World Resort (not visible) on the west side.

For the next 40 miles (64 km), I-4 passes through the Orlando metropolitan area, where the highway forms the main north-south artery. It enters Orange County, passes through Walt Disney World, and by SeaWorld Orlando, and Universal Orlando Resort—and intersects all of the area's major toll roads, including the Beachline Expressway (FL 528), Florida's Turnpike, and Interstate 404 (unsigned FL 417).

Seminole and Volusia counties

Around mile 91, I-4 enters Seminole County and soon thereafter shifts to a northeast heading. Interstate 404 has its northern terminus at I-4 in Sanford, at Mile 101. North of Sanford, I-4 is carried by the St. Johns River Veterans Memorial Bridge over the St. Johns River at the mouth of Lake Monroe. Along the bridge, I-4 enters Volusia County and passes Deltona & DeLand. I-4 ends at a junction with Interstate 95 in Daytona Beach. SR 400 continues east into Daytona Beach 4 Miles to U.S. Route 1.

History

Although many post-1970 interchanges along I-4 were constructed before the recent widening projects, they were designed with I-4 expansion in mind. In other words, there is enough room available to widen I-4 to up to ten lanes without extensively modifying the interchanges. Some of these interchanges include the I-75 stack (constructed in the 1980s) and several interchanges serving the Walt Disney World Resort (constructed in the late 1980s and early 1990s).

Orlando area

In the early-to-mid 1990s, several interchanges near Kissimmee were constructed or upgraded to accommodate increasing traffic going to and from Walt Disney World. However, I-4's main lanes were not widened in the process. Around the same time, I-404 was extended to I-4. Improvements to the US 192 junction were completed in 2007.

Auxiliary route

Main article: Interstate 404

Interstate 404 (I-404) is a 54.061-mile-long (87.003 km) bypass loop auxiliary Interstate Highway of Interstate 4, traveling through the eastern suburbs of Orlando, Florida and carrying a hidden designation of State Road 417 (FL 417) forming the eastern beltway around the city. It is the only Interstate Highway in Florida that is entirely a tolled limited-access expressway. The expressway has three freeway names depending on the location, such as the Central Florida GreeneWay, the Seminole County Expressway, and the Orlando East Bypass.

Florida State Road 400

Main article: Florida State Road 400

State Road 400 (FL 400) is an unsigned highway while running concurrently with I-4 from their shared western terminus at I-275 in Tampa through Orlando at I-404 (unsigned FL 417) to the eastern terminus at I-95 in Daytona Beach. FL 400 is named Beville Road beyond that point and continues for another 4.216 miles (6.785 km) to its own eastern terminus at an intersection with US 1 on the city line between Daytona Beach and South Daytona. Sections of the non-concurrent FL 400 are classified as a "scenic thoroughfare" within Daytona Beach.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Volusia County.

See also

• Interstate 404, an auxiliary route of I-4 which travels in the eastern suburbs of Orlando.
• Florida State Road 400, an unsigned state road which carries I-4 through most of its route, except the section beyond east of I-95 in Daytona Beach.

Interstate Highway System

Major Interstates are written in bold.

Auxiliary routes of Interstate 4

I-404