A major highway connection project located in Tampa, Florida has won a 2014 Outstanding Project Award from the 2697 Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers (FICE). The link was opened in January 2014 and was engineered by designer 3005 Atkins. The 1.6km-long I-4/Selmon Connector links I-4 with the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway. The US$425 million Connector now carries over 24,000 vehicles/day, which includes some 2,000 heavy vehicles/day. With the construction of the link, this traffic has been moved from the streets of the nearby Ybor City, cutting congestion and increasing safety.
The Connector is a four-level, elevated, directional interchange made up of a complex network of 30 bridges. It features a self-contained, overhead, all-electronic toll collection system that can be maintained and repaired without disrupting traffic flow. The steel toll gantries are constructed of two Vierendeel-type trusses that each span 47.24m. Atkins served as lead project engineer and as primary designer of the Connector’s southern portion, which comprised 80% of the overall project. Atkins provided a wide range of professional services, including roadway, bridge, and drainage design; surveying; architecture; landscape design. The project was funded primarily by FDOT, Florida’s Turnpike enterprise, and the1088 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. L Joe Boyer, Atkins CEO, North America, said, “This was the largest construction contract that FDOT District 7 has advertised for bidding, and one of the largest projects ever designed in North America by Atkins.
Tom Barry, PE, director of Atkins’ DOT business unit, added, “This is a project of tremendous importance to the Tampa area, and it’s wonderful to see it get the recognition it deserves. Ten Atkins offices worked together with 30 specialty subconsultants, investing more than 500,000 hours preparing the necessary plans, specifications, and estimates under an aggressive, 36-month design schedule.”
The Connector is a four-level, elevated, directional interchange made up of a complex network of 30 bridges. It features a self-contained, overhead, all-electronic toll collection system that can be maintained and repaired without disrupting traffic flow. The steel toll gantries are constructed of two Vierendeel-type trusses that each span 47.24m. Atkins served as lead project engineer and as primary designer of the Connector’s southern portion, which comprised 80% of the overall project. Atkins provided a wide range of professional services, including roadway, bridge, and drainage design; surveying; architecture; landscape design. The project was funded primarily by FDOT, Florida’s Turnpike enterprise, and the
Tom Barry, PE, director of Atkins’ DOT business unit, added, “This is a project of tremendous importance to the Tampa area, and it’s wonderful to see it get the recognition it deserves. Ten Atkins offices worked together with 30 specialty subconsultants, investing more than 500,000 hours preparing the necessary plans, specifications, and estimates under an aggressive, 36-month design schedule.”
