The Interstate 4 interchange at Maitland Boulevard is one of the busiest interchanges along the roadway's "I-4 Ultimate" corridor.

  • Pedestrian bridge to be built on I-4 at Maitland Blvd.
  • FDOT officials hope it will be visually defining
  • Bridge expected to open by 2019

In fact, an estimated 70,000 cars a day pass through it.

"A lot of those are folks just heading out toward Apopka over to the west and don't necessarily have business in Maitland, just using I-4 to get where they need to go," said Dave Parks, spokesperson for I-4 Ultimate.

While the I-4/State Road 408 interchange may be the crown jewel of the I-4 Ultimate project, officials also told us that the Kirkman Road and the Maitland Boulevard interchanges might be second and third in terms of design, functionality and appearance.

Part of what makes the Maitland interchange so complex is the addition of what officials are hoping will be one of I-4 Ultimate's defining visual offerings: a pedestrian overpass bridge that will span over the top of I-4 and connect with the existing sidewalks.

Work has now begun on the bridge, a structure that will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to safely cross from one side of the busy interstate to the other.

"We needed to build this pedestrian bridge because we are changing the interchange from an interchange that was dominated by traffic lights to a free-flowing interchange,” Parks said.

“In the past, there were safe opportunities for pedestrians to cross over the ramps, cross over the top of I-4,” he added. “Now that we are creating this free flowing interchange, we've provided a way for pedestrians to get from one side of the interstate to the other."

The bridge, which officials plan to open by 2019, is expected to spur other alternative modes of transportation in the area, especially with a SunRail station close by.

Currently, pedestrians in the area have to rely on buses to go from one side of I-4 to the other


News 13 has partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation on its “Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow” campaign. The idea is to make sure we’re all sharing the road with people who walk or ride their bikes, and everyone makes it where they need to be safely. FDOT has all kinds of resources for you at FDOT.com