SR 408/SR 417 Interchange

Quicker access to the rest of the world. The SR 408/SR 417 interchange in central Florida has improved connections between northeast Orlando - particularly Seminole and Orange counties - and downtown, as well as providing a direct route to Orlando International Airport and alternative access to tourist attractions.

The project reduced peak hour congestion and improved traffic flow at the intersection of SR 408 and SR 417. It also widened SR 408 from six to eight lanes and eliminated the Valencia College Lane ramps in favour of a new two-lane ramp from SR 408 east to SR 417 north.

The complexity of the project required the construction of different types of bridges to accommodate the heavy traffic of 170,000 vehicles per day on SR 408 and 130,000 vehicles per day on SR 417. For traffic safety, five overhead traffic signals, some of the first in Florida, were installed to guide motorists and meet the new Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices guidelines.

Noise control was also a key aspect of the project, with soundproof walls installed along much of the roadway and on a bridge that was the first in Florida to feature transparent noise barriers. In 2013, the project received the ENR Southeast 'Best Projects' award in the Highway/Bridges category.