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Interstate 4 (abbreviated I-4) is a 132.30-mile (212.91 km) intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida () to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida (). It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of Florida State Road 400, but only a small portion of the route is signed at the east end.
The combination of the Tampa, Orlando and Daytona Beach metropolitan areas is often referred to as the I-4 Corridor, since the freeway connects all three. In the 2004 U.S. presidential election, the I-4 corridor, a site of significant growth, was a focus of political activity within the swing state of Florida. Communities along the I-4 corridor were perceived by both major political parties as having higher proportions of undecided voters as compared to more Republican or Democratic-leaning portions of the state.
Hurricane Charley is sometimes referred to locally as the I-4 Hurricane. The storm's path followed closely to Interstate 4 for its last 100 miles (160 km) and caused widespread damage in central Florida.
Major cities
Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.
Notes
This road is very close to a true diagonal route. It goes further east-west than north-south, though it would probably still be even-numbered even if it didn't, given that it only intersects odd-numbered Interstates at right angles. Throughout most of Orange County, I-4 travels in almost a north-south direction.
The bridge over the St. Johns River, originally a single four-lane span, replaced with two three-lane spans in 2003, is now named the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
When it was first built, Interstate-4 entered St. Petersburg, Florida over the Howard Frankland Bridge while I-75 ended at the interchange known as Malfunction Junction in downtown Tampa (so called because of extended construction and dangerous curves which brings traffic to a crawl in every direction every rush hour). I-4 was truncated to Malfunction Junction in 1971 with I-75 extended over the bridge. Eventually, that stretch was again renamed to become part of I-275. The interchange was rebuilt in 2004 and 2005, and I-4 is under staged renovations to expand it from four to eight lanes. Some of this work is complete.
Tolled express lanes were being planned in the Orlando area as a traffic congestion relief technique for rush hour commuters. The name for them was to be Xpress 400, numbered after the state road designation for I-4, SR 400. However, due to U.S. Representative John Mica, they have been banned by a recently passed rider in the A Legacy for Users Federal transportation bill in 2005.
While the entire length of I-4 carries the hidden designation of State Road 400, there is a three mile long stretch of signed SR 400 extending from the northeast terminus of I-4 to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 (SR 5) in Daytona Beach.
This is the lowest-numbered Interstate Highway, not including Interstates in Hawaii; I-5 is the lowest-numbered north-south Interstate.
The fierce rivalry between the Tampa Bay Storm and Orlando Predators Arena Football League teams has been penned as the War on I-4.
In Tampa, the exit to 40th Street (State Road 569) has been closed since late-2005, due to the ongoing reconstruction of I-4; It will not reopen due to a proposed connector highway with the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway. *
In Orlando, the eastbound exit to Robinson Street (State Road 526) permanently closed at 11PM on April 25, 2006, to make way for construction of the new eastbound onramp from State Road 408.Central Florida News 13, On The Move, April 25, 2006
The new flyover from I-4 west to John Young Parkway (County Road 423) opened the morning of April 27, 2006.Orlando Sentinel, Rising above I-4 crowds, April 26, 2006WESH, Changes Under Way On I-4, April 26, 2006Central Florida News 13, On The Move, April 26, 2006
Exit list
Shields are shown at intersections with other Interstates.
| Number | Mile | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old | |||||
| Interstate 275 south - Tampa Airport/St. Petersburg | Tampa | westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |||
| Interstate 275 north to Interstate 75 north - Ocala | westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||||
| 1 | 1 | State Road 585 - 21st Street/22nd Street | |||
| 2 | 2 | State Road 569 - 40th Street (Permanently Closed) | To be replaced by a proposed connector to State Road 618 (Florida) | ||
| 3 | 3 | U.S. Highway 41 - 50th Street/Columbus Drive | |||
| 5 | 4 | State Road 574 - Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard | |||
| 6 | 5 | Orient Road | eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
| 7 | 6 | U.S. Highway 92 to US 301.svg U.S. Route 301 - Hillsborough Avenue/Riverview/Zephyrhills | |||
| 9 | 7 | Interstate 75 - Ocala/Naples | |||
| 10 | 8 | County Road 579 - Mango/Thonotosassa | |||
| 14 | 9 | McIntosh Road | |||
| 17 | 10 | Branch Forbes Road | |||
| 19 | 11 | State Road 566 - Thonotosassa Road | Plant City | ||
| 21 | 12-13 | State Road 39 - Alexander Street/Buchman Highway/Zephyrhills | |||
| 22 | 14 | State Road 553) | |||
| 25 | 15 | County Line Road | |||
| 27 | 15A | State Road 570 east - Polk Parkway/Winter Haven/Bartow | Lakeland | ||
| 28 | 16 | U.S. Highway 92 (Florida 546.svg State Road 546) | |||
| 31 | 17 | State Road 539 - Kathleen | |||
| 32 | 18 | U.S. Highway 98 - Dade City | |||
| 33 | 19 | State Road 33/County Road 582 | |||
| 38 | 20 | State Road 33 | |||
| 41 | 20A | State Road 570 west - Polk Parkway/Auburndale/Lakeland | |||
| 44 | 21 | State Road 559 - Polk City/Auburndale | |||
| 48 | 22 | County Road 557 - Lake Alfred/Winter Haven | |||
| 55 | 23 | U.S. Highway 27 - Haines City/Clermont | |||
| 58 | 24 | County Road 532 - Kissimmee/Poinciana | |||
| 62 | 24C-D | Disney World/Celebration | |||
| 62 | 24E | State Road 417 north - International Airport/Sanford | eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
| 64 | 25 | U.S. Highway 192 - Celebration/Kissimmee/Magic Kingdom/Disney/MGM Studios | split into 64A and 64B | ||
| 65 | 26C-D | Osceola Parkway - Animal Kingdom/Wide World of Sports | was only 26C eastbound | ||
| 67 | 26A-B | State Road 536 to Toll Florida 417.svg State Road 417 - Epcot/Downtown Disney | |||
| 68 | 27 | State Road 535 - Kissimmee/Lake Buena Vista | |||
| 71 | 27A | Sea World | International Drive | eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| 72 | 28 | State Road 528 east - International Airport/Cape Canaveral | |||
| 74A | 29 | State Road 482 - Sand Lake Road | was 29A westbound after 29B (current 74B) opened | ||
| 74B | 29B | Universal | westbound exit and entrance | ||
| 75A | 30A | State Road 435 south - Kirkman Road/Universal | no westbound entrance | ||
| 75B | 30B | State Road 435 north - Kirkman Road | no eastbound entrance | ||
| 77 | 31 | Toll Florida 91.svg Florida's Turnpike - Miami/Wildwood | |||
| 78 | 31A | Conroy Road | |||
| 79 | 32 | County Road 423 - John Young Parkway | |||
| 80A | 33A | U.S. Highway 17 south/US 441.svg U.S. Highway 441 south/US 92.svg U.S. Highway 92 west - International Airport | exit 80 westbound | ||
| 80B | 33B | U.S. Highway 17 north/US 441.svg U.S. Highway 441 north/US 92.svg U.S. Highway 92 east | eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
| 81A | 34 | Michigan Street | westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 81B-C | 35 | Kaley Avenue | was split into 35A and 35B westbound only | ||
| 82A | 36 | State Road 408 | |||
| 82B | 37 | Gore Street | westbound exit and entrance | ||
| 82C | 38 | Anderson Street east | Downtown Orlando | ||
| 83 | 39 | South Street | westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 83A | 40 | State Road 526 - Robinson Street (Eastbound exit closed) | eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
| 83B | 41 | US 92.svgFlorida 50.svg U.S. Highway 17/U.S. Highway 92/State Road 50 - Amelia Street/Colonial Drive | part of exit 84 westbound | ||
| 84 | 42 | Ivanhoe Boulevard | |||
| 85 | 43 | Princeton Street | |||
| 86 | 44 | Par Avenue | Winter Park | eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| 87 | 45 | State Road 426) | |||
| 88 | 46 | State Road 423 - Lee Road | |||
| 90 | 47 | State Road 414 - Maitland Boulevard | split into 90A and 90B eastbound | ||
| 92 | 48 | State Road 436 - Altamonte Springs/Apopka | |||
| 94 | 49 | State Road 434 - Longwood/Winter Springs | |||
| 98 | 50 | Lake Mary/Heathrow | |||
| 101A | 51A | County Road 46A - Heathrow | Sanford | ||
| 101B | State Road 417 - International Airport | ||||
| 101C | 51 | State Road 46 - Mount Dora | |||
| 104 | 52 | US 92.svg U.S. Highway 17/U.S. Highway 92 | |||
| 108 | 53 | DeBary/Deltona | |||
| 111 | 53CA-CB | Deltona/Orange City | split into 111A and 111B eastbound | ||
| 114 | 54 | State Road 472 - Orange City | DeLand | ||
| 116 | 55 | Lake Helen | |||
| 118 | 56 | State Road 44 - New Smyrna Beach | |||
| 129 | 57 | U.S. Highway 92 east | Daytona Beach | eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
| Interstate 95 north - Jacksonville | |||||
| Interstate 95 south - Miami | |||||
| 132 | 58 | State Road 400 east - South Daytona | eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
The Interstate 4/State Road 618 (Florida) Connector (In Tampa)
Due to the ever increasing amount of truck traffic that use I-4 to connect with the Port of Tampa and the effect on 22nd and 21st Streets through historic Ybor City. It became clear that an elevated highway connecting the Interstate and the Selmon Crosstown Expressway was needed to safely channel truck traffic to and from the port. One major accident involving a truck in Ybor City, could mean a huge disaster.
- Early planning for the highway began around 1999, with most of the major design stage completed in 2004/2005. However, funding did not become available for the connector project until a recent federal transportation bill passed.
- At this point, all major planning for the project is nearing completion but will not be finalized until late 2008. Right of Way Acquisition is already well underway and should be complete by early 2008.
- Construction of the connector should begin around 2009/2010.
Permanent road closures/revampments due to the connector project
- The 39th St exit (on the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway-Exit 10) was reduced to a half-diamond interchange in 2004. Its tolls were also removed.
- Also in 2004, the 40th St exit (Exit 2) with I-4 was permanently closed.
The Ten Lane Superhighway 4
- The population growth in Florida never seems to stop. Because of this, plans have been materializing over the past five (or so) years to eventually widen I-4 to a ten-lane superfreeway. In fact, within the next few years, right-of-way acquisition for the project will begin in the areas of I-4 that have been widened in the latest phase of reconstruction. When the entire project is complete (which happens to be somewhere within the 2020s), the Interstate will be a full ten lanes from Tampa to Daytona Beach and will be able to carry an ever increasing number of traffic for at least a few more decades.
References
External links
- Trans4mation (Orlando-area reconstruction)
- I4Polk.com (Lakeland-area reconstruction)
- Tampa Bay Interstates (Tampa-area reconstruction)
- Interstate 4 at Exitlists.com
- Interstate 4 at Larry's Phat Page
Florida State Roads | Interstate Highway System | Interstate Highways in Florida | Transportation in Orlando
"Interstate 4"
