Widening of Kirkman Road
Orlando
Merit Award
Sent by: Johnson Bros. Corp., a Southland company
Owner: Universal City Development Partners Ltd.
Main design company: OM Engineering Services Inc.
General contractor: Johnson Bros. Corp., a Southland company
Structural Engineer: Parsons
This 1.7-mile stretch of urban highway closes a critical north-south gap in one of Central Florida’s busiest tourism corridors and improves regional mobility. Six general use lanes and two dedicated traffic lanes connect Carrier Drive to Universal Boulevard, creating a direct link between Universal Orlando Resort and the newly opened Epic Universe.
The $225.2 million project included massive earthworks, comprehensive stormwater and drainage systems, bridge and structure construction, and multiple paving operations. Crews also completed extensive utility relocations and graded traffic maintenance, as well as rebuilding a single-point urban interchange at West Sand Lake Road with prestressed Florida I-beam girders and a lightweight concrete deck.
Given the heavy traffic on the roadway, the project team implemented barrier-protected work zones and completed high-impact activities at night to reduce risk. Live high voltage transmission lines run through parts of this corridor, which required custom pile assembly operations using modified equipment with reduced clearances.
The signature traffic circle ramp at Epic Boulevard was redesigned from structural steel beams to Florida I-beam beams, eliminating specialized steel erection and reducing costs and utility conflicts. The change preserved the profile of the ramp while maintaining the separation between regional through traffic and local access.
