Congestion Relief
GRL Engineers, Inc. worked to help ease congestion at the intersection of
Florida’s U.S. 17-92 and SR 436
By Mohamad Hussein, GRL Engineers, Inc.
The intersection at US 17-92 and SR 436 is one of the
most congested intersections in Florida, with over 100,000
motorists traveling daily through the corridor. Just 13 miles
north of Orlando, Fla., the US 17-92/SR 436 intersection serves
as a main route for commuter traffic as well as a major pipeline for
motorists coming from Interstate 4. The project was contracted as
a design-build project to provide a single point urban interchange
that was achieved with the design of a flyover bridge to alleviate traffic.
Challenges for the project included the Florida Department of
Transportation (FDOT)’s set budget, accelerated schedule and the
unprecedented delivery and
installation of the longest
single piece concrete beams
ever fabricated and installed
in Florida and the United
States.
The flyover bridge has
drastically helped motorists’
travel time since its official
opening, with drivers saving
an average of five to 10
minutes in their commutes,
particularly motorists traveling
US 17-92 that don’t
have to stop for the traffic
on SR 436. This is significant
because the FDOT’s
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
$2-billion, I-4 Ultimate Project was set to begin construction and
they wanted the US 17-92 flyover bridge to be in operation before
construction began on the I-4 project to facilitate traffic.
Unique design applications/considerations
Prior to construction, the six-lane arterials were subjected to
heavy congestion daily, resulting in major delays with motorists’
wait time clocking in at four- to five-minute traffic light cycles.
A PD&E study conducted on whether to raise the bridge over
SR 436 or 17-92 concluded that a single point urban interchange
(SPUI) over SR 436 was the
best solution due to right-ofway
constraints. The flyover
bridge is configured in three,
simply supported spans with
a main span of 209 feet and
two approach spans of 124
feet for a total bridge length
of 457 feet. The profile
for the US 17-92 overpass
was developed based on a
45 mph design speed, with
three through-lanes in each
direction along US 17-92
approaching the new interchange.
A 14-foot median,
with a traffic separator, is
Aerial photo courtesy of GRL Engineers, Inc.
Bohbeh/Shutterstock.com
PILEDRIVER | 91
/Shutterstock.com
