FTBA BIC AWARD WINNER -This I-75 Expansion Project involved the addition of a new12-foot travel lane and paved shoulder along the inside median in each direction of what was the last four-lane segment of I-75 in the State. Its completion was a major milestone for Florida as it increased I-75 to six lanes throughout the State from Alligator Alley to the Florida/Georgia State border; thereby improving the facility's capacity, evacuation capacity, safety, and overall efficiency for travelers. The existing interstate bridges over North Jones Loop Road and Riverside Drive and the Seminole Gulf Railroad (SGLR) was widened to accommodate the additional lanes; and, a new under deck drainage system was installed beneath the existing US 17 overpass bridge. The North Jones Loop Bridges involved steel I-girder superstructures founded upon steel HP14x89 piling, while the Riverside Drive/SGLR Bridges involved 36-inch Florida I-beams founded upon18-inch square pre-stressed concrete piling.

The Project also included milling, resurfacing, and overbuilding the existing travel lanes and outside shoulders to correct the cross slopes; reconstruction of the access ramps, and median and shoulder improvements on North Jones Loop Road; as well as, painting of the new and existing bridge components.  The added  I-75  stormwater runoff was accommodated by the construction of 4 new linear dry retention treatment swales and excavation of a floodplain compensation area at the southeast quadrant of the US 17 Interchange. Other notable elements of the project included:  new  LED  high mast lighting at the Interchanges; adjustments to existing ITS components; replacement of the quartz piezoelectric weigh-in-motion (WIM) loop sensors on the North Jones Loop Road Ramps; replacement of34,000 linear feet of guardrail; and replacement of an existing Traffic Monitoring Site located just south of Airport Road.

The project extended 4.25 miles along I-75 in Charlotte County bordered by the Peace River at its northern limit and an existing weight station just south of the North Jones Loop Road/County Road 768 interchange at its southern limit. Construction began on November 28, 2017, and final accepted on November 2, 2018.

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