Pay attention: Big change coming to this I-75 interchange

Standing atop Interstate 75 where a temporary bridge was until last week, Marlena Gore looks out over the University Parkway interchange.

As cars travel along University Parkway, construction on the diverging diamond interchange continues. The Florida Department of Transportation interstate construction project manager notes that once the new traffic pattern is implemented, the cars heading westbound will be on the opposite side of the road — and vice versa.

With the 12 lanes — six in each direction — already there, Florida’s first diverging diamond interchange is on track to start its new pattern around the first week of June, Gore says.

“The lanes are all sitting out there,” she said. “They are not just in the pattern. ... The DDI has nothing to do with I-75 itself. The DDI is on University Parkway.”

Since August 2015, crews have been working on both University Parkway and I-75 to build the diverging diamond interchange, which will be the largest in the United States when completed.

While the $74.5 million project, expected to be finished in time for the 2017 World Rowing Championship at nearby Nathan Benderson Park, is 84 percent complete, crews are on site this week painting the noise wall from Fruitville Road to just south of the park and taking apart the temporary bridge on I-75, as well taking care of other tasks.

“Prince (Contracting) is on track, on schedule, looking pretty good,” Gore said.

Planned for a Saturday night into Sunday morning, FDOT is hoping to give at least a week’s notice of when the traffic shift into the DDI pattern will take place.

“In that overnight operation, we will close the interchange just like we’ve done a dozen times before in the past, divert traffic to Fruitville to the south and State Road 70 to the north. And then, in an overnight operation, we will put the diverging diamond pattern into its full capacity with the exception of one lane in each direction underneath the bridge,” Gore said. “We will keep one lane closed in each direction to facilitate the construction of the pedestrian walkway — and that’s for the safety of the traveling public, as well as our workers out there.”

As part of the overnight DDI implementation, there will be work on signals, as well as paving, striping and additional signage.

“We are considering having some police assistance as well just to have some reassurance to the motoring public that they are going to be OK, and to know what they are going to do,” she said. “But there will be plenty of signage and striping out there.”

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 1:54 PM with the headline "Pay attention: Big change coming to this I-75 interchange."