I-4/SR 33 Interchange Reconstruction and SR 33 Widening

The area surrounding SR 33 in Lakeland is undergoing substantial development, and the Florida Department of Transportation intends to reconstruct and widen SR 33 to provide increased capacity. The project has been split into two segments for design and construction. Segment 1 runs 2.5 miles from Old Combee Road to south of University Boulevard; Segment 2 runs 1.5 miles from south of University Boulevard to north of Tomkow Road and includes complete replacement of the I-4 interchange. Lochner is preparing plans, specifications, permitting, and estimates for both segments.

Along the full 3.75 miles, Lochner’s design plans convert the existing two-lane roadway into a four-lane, high-speed suburban typical section, with two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction, a 30-foot median, four-foot paved inside shoulders, 10-foot outside shoulders that can accommodate cyclists, and drainage swales on both sides of the roadway. Lochner’s design also includes a five-foot sidewalk on the west side of the roadway and a 12-foot-wide shared-use path along the east side. The two existing SR 33 lanes will be milled and resurfaced to form the southbound lanes; the northbound lanes will be new construction.

Segment 1 includes the design of two replacement box culverts and one new roundabout intersection. Lochner’s Segment 2 design includes the complete reconstruction of two miles of I-4, including the interchange to both accommodate the widening of SR 33 and correct the substandard I-4 bridge clearance over the state route, which is almost two feet lower than current minimum requirements. Lochner is designing a diamond interchange in this location, similar to the existing layout. The I-4 median will be widened to 164 feet to allow for the future provision of express lanes and/or multimodal services. The design also includes three new roundabouts, two of which will be at the I-4 ramp termini. There are extensive under- and above-ground utilities around the interchange, and Lochner is ensuring that its design keeps utility relocations to a minimum, particularly with respect to the gas lines, which would be especially difficult and costly to relocate.

Further design elements along both project segments include signals, lighting, ITS, and miscellaneous structures. Two new wildlife crossings are also included; one is designed to cross under SR 33 and the other is designed as a bridge over I-4. In both segments, Lochner is developing creative drainage design solutions to overcome the poorly draining soils prevalent in the area, while staying within the corridor’s extremely constrained right of way.