ORLANDO, Fla. – The I-4 at SR 557 Interchange project designed by DRMP has earned a 2025 Engineering Excellence Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida (ACEC-FL).
This $77 million design-build project for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 1 addresses Central Florida's rapidly growing population and record-breaking number of visitors while supporting alternative transportation.
The project included realigning 2 miles of I-4 to accommodate high-speed rail and the future I-4 ultimate typical section, converting the SR 557 interchange from a partial clover leaf to a diamond interchange with dual tear-drop roundabouts, emergency stopping areas on both I-4 ramps, and widening SR 557 from two to four lanes. DRMP saved $1 million for FDOT District 1 by shifting the SR 557 alignment to the east to provide a single-phase bridge/roundabout construction that minimized impact to traffic, enhanced safety, reduced construction duration, and eliminated the shutdown of I-4 for the existing demolition.
The project also boasts a new wildlife crossing for the safe passage of aquatic and terrestrial species and is the first of its kind in Florida to be designed and constructed to offset wetland impacts. It also is the first wildlife crossing in Polk County and connects the Hilochee Wildlife Management Area on both sides of I-4, preventing wildlife mortality, improving motorist safety, and promoting wildlife diversity. Prior to these improvements, the interstate split the Hilochee Wildlife Management Area when originally constructed in 1959, preventing the safe crossing of wildlife.
DRMP also designed an innovative maintenance of traffic (MOT) phasing plan that reduced construction complexity by maintaining existing conditions before a traffic shift, used temporary concrete barriers, added reflector strips on top of temporary concrete barriers, and expedited closure of existing outdated 25 mph loop ramp by opening a temporary exit ramp.
The project team also implemented wrong-way driving devices at the interchange and replaced the existing intelligent transportation system devices, including truck parking availability system and queue detection for on and off ramps to increase safety and minimize rear-end crashes.
DRMP’s Senior Vice President of Alternative Delivery, TJ Lallathin, PE, DBIA, emphasized how his team’s innovative and collaborative engineering approach contributes to a successful project.
“This project represents our team’s dedication to providing an innovative and sustainable design to meet FDOT’s needs,” Lallathin said. “By improving safety, protecting wildlife, and accommodating the future expansion of the corridor, we’ve delivered a solution that not only addresses the needs of a growing region but also sets a precedent for an environmentally conscious design.”
About DRMP
DRMP is a multi-discipline firm serving clients in the public, private and industrial sectors in the development of infrastructure and has been in business since 1977. DRMP currently employs 700 professionals in 24 office locations spread strategically across our service area. Today, DRMP is ranked among Engineering News-Record’s “Top 500 Design Firms” in the United States. For more information, please visit www.drmp.com
