Tag Archives: I-4

Attractions, Featured

Vanishing Point Slides Into Adventure Island in 2018

Guests are in for the slide of their lives when Adventure Island® Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s new epic drop slide, Vanish Point®, opens in March 2018.

Inspired by the point on a wave where water and gravity form a perfect partnership, the crest of this 70-foot tower challenges you with two 425 ft. wave paths. Step into one of two skyboxes, and face your fears as the floor disappears beneath you. Or, get horizontal on a 455-foot long slide ending with a high speed finale.

“These unique ride paths give guests options on how they want their thrills delivered,” said Stewart Clark, president of Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay and Adventure Island. “Whether you choose to have the floor drop from beneath your feet, or race to the bottom on a looped slide, the only way down once you get to the top is a wild ride that gets your heart pumping.”

Located right across the street from Busch Gardens, Adventure Island is the ultimate combination of high-speed thrills and tropical, tranquil surroundings for guests of all ages. Within a soothing Key West atmosphere, guests enjoy slides, corkscrews, water falls, a wave pool, children’s water playground and other family attractions.

Vanish Point will be located at the center of the park next to another family-favorite thrill slide, Colossal Curl™.

Construction on Vanish Point will begin in the coming weeks, and the ride is expected to be completed to kick off the 2018 season for Adventure Island.

For more I-4 travel information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

RoadNews

I-4 Off-Ramp to Change from Left Exit to Right on Friday Morning

A traffic shift of eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4) between Sand Lake Road (S.R. 482) and Grand National Drive opens the morning of Friday, December 22, allowing motorists to exit I-4 to northbound Kirkman Road (S.R. 435) on the right, not the left.

The traffic shift will move the eastbound I-4 lanes, between Sand Lake Road and Grand National Drive, adjacent to the westbound I-4 travel lanes. The most noticeable difference for motorists will be Exit 75B to northbound Kirkman Road moves to the right side of the I-4. The exit to Universal Boulevard (Exit 75A) remains in the same location.

Progress around the I-4 and Kirkman Road interchange this year has been significant. The new Grand National Drive overpass opened to motorists in early August. The new westbound I-4 exit ramp to southbound Kirkman Road was ready for use in October, and the southbound Kirkman Road bridge over I-4 opened in March.

Modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving through the work zone.

For more I-4 travel information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

RoadNews

I-4 Ultimate Project Limits Closures for Holidays

The Florida Department of Transportation reports that nighttime lane, ramp and road closures on the I-4 Ultimate project will scale down during the winter holidays.

The majority of construction closures on the interstate will be suspended from Midnight Saturday, December 24, until the morning of Tuesday, January 2. The I-4 Ultimate project, which extends 21 miles from west of Kirkman Road to east of State Road 434, will be open to holiday traffic; however, motorists should expect the following late-night closures:

  • On December 26–31, nightly closures of John Young Parkway (S.R. 423) under I-4 beginning each night at 11:30 p.m. and ending at 5:30 a.m. Access to all I-4 ramps at the interchange will remain open during the nighttime closure.
  • On December 27–30, nightly closures of Division Avenue from Gore Street to Anderson Street beginning each night at 10 p.m. and ending at 5 a.m. The westbound S.R. 408 on-ramp from Division Avenue will remain open during the nighttime closure. Motorists can access the ramp from Anderson Street.
  • Single lane closures after 11 p.m. on the eastbound Interstate 4 (I-4) exit and entrance ramps at State Road (S.R.) 436.
  • Right lane closures after 11 p.m. on eastbound and westbound S.R. 436 from the I-4 interchange to Northlake Boulevard.
  • Additional nighttime lane closures may be required on local roads near the I-4/S.R. 436 interchange, including Central Parkway, Douglas Avenue, Westmonte Drive and Wymore Road.

Although the majority of regularly scheduled I-4 Ultimate construction closures are not occurring over the holidays, existing work zones will remain in effect and crews will continue to maintain travel lanes and conduct routine maintenance. Maintenance work often requires nighttime lane closures, such as work on December 27-20 from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. to replace reflective pavement markings on eastbound and westbound I-4 from Conroy Road to Ivanhoe Boulevard.

Motorists are reminded to use caution while traveling through work zones around barricades and equipment. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) encourages drivers to plan for additional travel time during the holidays. Drivers are urged to make sure they buckle up, along with their passengers. FDOT and other safety agencies also ask drivers to obey speed limits, get adequate rest before traveling, avoid distractions and never drink and drive.

FDOT advises drivers to slow down in construction zones; the life you save may be your own.

For more I-4 travel information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

RoadNews

AAA Holiday Travel Headache Hotspots

INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, in collaboration with the American Automobile Association (AAA), reports that based on historical and recent travel trends, they expect drivers will experience the greatest amount of congestion before the holiday week – on Wednesday, December 20 and Thursday, December 21 – in the late afternoon as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. For example, drivers in New York City could see travel times peak at three times a normal trip between 3:30 and 5:30pm.

“With record-level travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays in major metros,” says Dr. Graham Cookson, chief economist & head of research at INRIX. “Our advice to drivers is to avoid peak times altogether or consider alternative routes.”

Here are the worst days and times to travel…

For more I-4 travel information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

RoadNews

Record-Breaking 107 Million Americans to Celebrate Holidays Away From Home

‘Tis the season to traditionally spend with family and friends and this year Americans are traveling in record numbers. AAA forecasts 107.3 million Americans will take to planes, trains, automobiles and other modes of transportation during the year-end holiday period from Saturday, December 23 through Monday, January 1. This will be the highest year-end travel volume on record and a 3.1 percent increase in travel volume compared with last year. 2017 marks the ninth consecutive year of rising year-end holiday travel. Since 2005, total year-end holiday travel volume has grown by 21.6 million, an increase of more than 25 percent.

read more…

For more I-4 travel information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

RoadNews

I-4 Off-Ramp to Michigan Street in Orlando Now Nearly a Mile Sooner

The Florida Department of Transportation reports that the westbound Interstate 4 exit ramp to Michigan Street will shift nearly one mile sooner the morning of December 12.

Traffic will exit westbound I-4 via a new lengthened ramp on the right. The ramp is connected to the existing westbound I-4 entrance ramp from Gore Street and State Road (S.R.) 408. Motorists seeking to enter westbound I-4 should prepare to merge with traffic to avoid continuing to the ramp to Michigan Street. The westbound I-4 entrance ramp from Kaley Avenue is unaffected by this ramp shift.

Modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving through the work zone.

For more I-4 construction information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

RoadNews

On The Road for Christmas? Here Where to Eat Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2017

Not all of us will be home for Christmas, or comfortably seated with friends and family for a Christmas feast… some of us will be on the road.

Travelers looking for a holiday meal can find it quite difficult. You’re tired and hungry so you jump of an exit only to find that every restaurant is closed.

An increasing number of chain restaurants are choosing to remain open during the holidays, or at least opening for limited hours to meet customer demand.

Here’s out list of chain restaurants open for business on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2017.

read more…

For more I-4 travel information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

RoadNews

New Lighting and Signage Work Along I-4 to Begin in December

The Florida Department of Transportation will be installing lighting and new highway signs at several interchanges along I-4. The lighting will be installed along the main travel lanes and ramps, and will include both standard light poles and the taller high-mast poles.

The locations along I-4 included within this project are:

  • I-4 at U.S. 17/92 (Exit 104)
  • I-4 at Dirksen Drive (Exit 108)
  • I-4 at S.R. 472 (Exit 114)
  • I-4 at Orange Camp Road (Exit 116)
  • I-4 at S.R. 44 (Exit 118)
  • I-4 at the U.S. 92 ramp

Contractor Chinchor Electric Inc. expects to begin construction in mid-December and finish by summer 2020. The improvements on this project are being completed under two separate contracts with a combined construction cost of approximately $12.3 million.

Impacts to Motorists:

The improvements are occurring outside of the travel lanes. However, motorists can expect nighttime lane closures along I-4 as well as occasional ramp closures with detours to accommodate construction of the bases and installation of the poles. Electronic message boards will be placed in advance to alert motorists of any upcoming closures.

For more I-4 construction information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

RoadNews

New I-4 Exit Ramp in Orlando Coming in December

In November, Florida’s I-4 Ultimate project saw great construction progress in downtown Orlando. That same momentum is expected to continue through the month of December.

The westbound Interstate 4 (I-4) exit ramp to Michigan Street (exit 81A) will shift in early December. Motorists will have to make their decision to exit one mile sooner during their drive.

Traffic will exit westbound I-4 via a new lengthened ramp on the right. The ramp is connected to the existing westbound I-4 entrance ramp from Gore Street and State Road 408.

Motorists seeking to enter westbound I-4 will prepare to merge with traffic to avoid continuing on the ramp to Michigan Street. The westbound I-4 entrance ramp from Kaley Avenue is unaffected by this ramp shift. The ramp structure to Michigan Street is a permanent structure, and the shift is to help accommodate construction on westbound I-4. To discourage weaving on westbound I-4, the exit ramp to southbound Kirkman Road (exit 75B) joined with the exit ramp to northbound Kirkman Road (exit 75A) on the right side.

For more I-4 construction information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

RoadNews

Nearly 51 Million Americans Traveling This Thanksgiving, Highest in a Dozen Years

AAA projects 50.9 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 3.3 percent increase over last year. The 2017 holiday weekend will see the highest Thanksgiving travel volume since 2005 with 1.6 million more people taking to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways compared with last year. AAA and INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, predict travel times in the most congested cities in the U.S. during the holiday week could be as much as three times longer than the optimal trip.

“Thanksgiving kicks off the start of a busy holiday season, and more thankful Americans will travel to spend time with friends and family this year,” said Bill Sutherland, AAA senior vice president, Travel and Publishing. “A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence, fueling a strong year for the travel industry, which will continue into the holiday season.”

read more…

For more I-4 travel information, visit www.i4exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to Interstate 4. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Tampa to Daytona!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-95 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.