Relieving congestion

摘要

Exploding growth and increased tourism Chave taken their toll on State Road 408 (SR 408), the 16-mile limited-access toll road that allows travelers to bypass downtown surface streets in Orlando, Fla. The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority needed to add lanes to SR 408 to increase capacity to meet this demand. Portions of the roadway will be expanded to five lanes each direction, and in a number of areas, a landscaped center median will be added. Where space constraints eliminate the landscaped area, a single concrete barrier will be constructed. In addition to the widening, the on-and off-ramps will be braided to provide a safer commute between Crystal Lake alleviate urban traffic congestion. What is unique, however, is the setting—or "context"—in which these improvements will be made. Mindful of Orlando's status as a world-class travel destination, the Expressway Authority has opted for a plan incorporating context-sensitive design principles that highlights the best aesthetic features of the community while making special efforts to keep residents and property owners informed of each stage of the project's development. The first section of the project started in October 2003, and all construction will be done in 2009.