ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A new traffic pattern has come to an overpass-turned-interchange above Interstate 4 near Orlando.
An I-4 Beyond the Ultimate interim project that began in November 2022 has sought to replace the Daryl Carter Parkway overpass at I-4 with a diverging diamond interchange to improve access to nearby attractions and relieve the congestion which so often builds in the Lake Buena Vista area.
Starting Wednesday, drivers on Daryl Carter Parkway will momentarily cross to the left side of the roadway at one traffic signal before crossing back to the right side at a second signal.
“I think it’s very confusing,” Maritza Sanchez said after driving on it for the first time.
“I think it’s going to be chaotic for a little bit. It might help on the highway traffic because there’s a new exit on the highway, but locally, there is going to be more traffic.”
The new diverging diamond interchange (DDI) will allow left turns that do not cross oncoming traffic and reduce the number of conflict points. The DDI eliminates left-turn phases at traffic signals, reducing the number of traffic signal phases from four to two. The DDI moves almost double the traffic through the intersection in the same time compared to a traditional interchange.
FDOT - "BUILDING A BETTER I-4" (excerpt)
The project will add three new I-4 ramps to Daryl Carter Parkway — an entrance ramp to eastbound I-4 and exit ramps from both directions of the interstate — as well as a westbound I-4 entrance ramp at a later date, according to FDOT.
“It is a big change. Coming up right here where we used to be a small neighborhood, I could see people being hesitant to change,” driver Danial Ali said.
“I feel like it’s going to create more traffic flow here, which is good for businesses in general. I’m a small business owner down the street on I-Drive, so we definitely see a positive happening.”
Additionally, construction is underway of a single, buffer-separated express lane on I-4 from west of Daryl Carter Parkway to west of Central Florida Parkway which, according to FDOT’s website, will be built in three separate projects. When finished, the lane will extend from west of Sand Lake Road to west of State Road 536, the website states.
Project completion could come as early as summer 2025, according to FDOT.
Read further on the I-4 Beyond the Ultimate website.