Florida: Sand Lake Road & I-4 Interchange

Happiest Place on Earth = Nightmare for Drivers

Challenge: Built before Mickey Mouse was an international icon, the Sand Lake Interchange at I-4 southwest of Orlando is now gateway to the world’s largest theme parks – Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World to name a few. Over 70,000 vehicles travel Sand Lake Road each day. It’s 10 “conflict points” create traffic nightmares for locals and visitors.

The Solution: With help from federal infrastructure investment law and funds administered through the National Highway Performance Program, this choke point is being reimagined as a diverging diamond configuration. Traffic is shifted to avoid left turns across lanes. New ramps will reduce congestion. It is all part of the I-4 Beyond the Ultimate project.

What They’re Saying: Traffic is so bad for [one local], “sometimes she will leave her car at home to run errands. ‘Because I live only about a half mile-down…I’ll walk to Whole Foods and back instead of driving.’” (Spectrum News 13, 9/9/21)