June 24, 2025 (Orlando, FL) ̶ Today, the Transportation Expressway Authority Membership of Florida (TEAMFL) announced the 2025 Expressway Authority Project of the Year Award recipient. This prestigious award is presented annually in collaboration with the Florida Transportation Builders’ Association (FTBA) to recognize the excellent contributions of construction contractors which help to maintain Florida’s prominent role as a leader in transportation.
The Central Florida Expressway Authority recently announced the completion of the SR 417 Widening from International Dr. to John Young Parkway Project in Orlando, FL. Hubbard Construction Company as the Contractor, TLP Engineering as the Designer, and CDM Smith as the CEI partnered together to complete the last phase of this construction project.
The SR 417-141 project will enhance safety and traffic efficiency for around 78,000 daily travelers that travel this corridor daily. Key upgrades include widening the expressway between International Drive and John Young Parkway and implementing a Flex Lane system with nine new sign gantries, 67 lane control signs, and six dynamic message signs. This project is the first of five project segments totaling 21 miles that were divided into contiguous parts to minimize the impact to motorists.
The project is a 4.1-mile section of limited access toll facility that widened State Road 417 from International Dr. to John Young Parkway from four to six general use lanes. New “Flex Lanes” were also added in both the northbound and southbound direction to accommodate traffic during emergency response events, such as traffic crashes or hurricane evacuations. The 417-141 project was the first in a series of five concurrent projects along SR 417, which in total completed 21 miles of capacity improvements from International Dr. to SR 528. Construction on the 417-141 project included eight mainline bridge widenings utilizing 36”-72” Florida I-Beams as well as 88” Steel I-Girders. The northbound and southbound SR 417 bridge widenings over Shingle Creek included widening the existing 10-span bridge structures over the environmentally sensitive waterway, generally considered to be the headwaters of the Florida Everglades. CFX built 13 new overhead sign structures, including four multi-level overhead span sign structures to accommodate the new “Flex Lane” dynamic signage. The full-span sign truss structures consist of outside uprights as well as dual post median barrier uprights at the mid-section. This project also included extensive Fiber Optic Network and ITS improvements, drainage, lighting, MSE walls, as well as construction of seven new noise walls along the corridor. The improvements were made while maintaining crucial mobility for 85,000 customers per day on average traversing the project limits enroute to employment centers and tourist destinations including Walt Disney World Resort, International Drive, and Kissimmee/St. Cloud.
“Each year, FTBA is proud to partner with TEAMFL to recognize the companies and individuals who are doing exceptional work, day in and day out, on the most innovative, complex and impactful transportation projects happening across our great state,” said FTBA President Dan Hurtado. “This year’s recipients have shown a commitment to upholding the highest standards as they work diligently to improve and expand the state’s infrastructure system for the benefit of all Florida’s road users, now and for many years to come.”’
“We are honored to receive the Project of the Year Award, which showcases the innovative Flex Lanes technology,” said Glenn Pressimone, Chief of Infrastructure at CFX. “Receiving this award reinforces our commitment to meeting the demands of Central Florida’s rapid growth. Through our partnerships with Hubbard Construction and CDM Smith, we can provide our region with a first-of-its-kind transportation solution that enhances a vital commuter corridor connecting downtown Orlando and major tourist destinations.”