TRANSPORTATION

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is conducting this Interchange Modification Report (IMR) re-evaluation for the I-75 at SR 884 (Colonial Boulevard) interchange, located in Lee County, Florida. I-75 is a six lane (three lanes in each direction) north-south interstate facility in the vicinity of the existing SR 884 interchange. The posted speed limit on I-75 is 70 mph. SR 884 is a six-lane divided urban principal arterial in the vicinity of the interchange.

The IMR was approved on August 7, 2017 documenting the future reconstruction of the interchange to a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) configuration. Other improvements along SR 884 include a Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI) to the west at the intersection of Six Mile Cypress Parkway/Ortiz Avenue and a Superstreet intersection to the east at the Forum Boulevard intersection. The approved 2017 IMR also considered construction of northbound and southbound auxiliary lanes on I-75 between the SR 884 and SR 82 (MLK Jr. Boulevard) interchange to the north. Reconstruction of the interchange is scheduled to be let in June 2020 and will proceed as a design-build project.

This re-evaluation of the IMR is developed in accordance with the FDOT Policy No. 000-525-015, “Approval of New or Modified Access to Limited Access Highways on the State Highway System (SHS)”; FDOT Interchange Access Request User’s Guide (IARUG), New or Modified Interchanges FDOT Procedure No. 525-030-160; and the Project Traffic Forecasting FDOT Procedure No. 525-030-120.

The objective of the IMR re-evaluation is to accommodate the following proposed modifications to the approved 2017 IMR concept as part of the design-build process:

• The northbound on-ramp at the I-75 at SR 884 interchange will be widened from the approved one lane to proposed two lanes at the gore point to provide for improved operations at the ramp merge area.
• The I-75 southbound off ramp at the SR 884 interchange will be widened from the existing one lane to two lanes at the diverge point from the mainline.
• Similarly, the northbound off ramp at the I-75 at SR 82 interchange will be widened from the existing one lane to two lanes at the diverge point from the mainline.