2025 Texas & Southeast Best Projects
Award of Merit, Highway/Bridge: Wekiva Parkway Section 8 Interchange

Wekiva Parkway Section 8 Interchange
Fla.
Award of Merit
Submitted by Lane Construction Corp.
Owner Florida Dept. of Transportation, District 5
Lead Design Firm DRMP Inc.
General Contractor Lane Construction Corp.
Construction Engineering/Inspection Metric Engineering Inc.
Geotechnical Engineers Ardaman Associates; Terracon Consultants
Utility Coordination Brindley Pieters and Associates Inc.
The $274.5-million design-build project completes a 25-mile beltway with a new directional system interchange that reduces bridge maintenance by 50% and eliminates problematic merge and weave areas.
Other features include more than two miles of limited access toll road, accommodations for the future I-4 express lanes, 20 new bridges and other infrastructure improvements.
Geotechnical challenges, including weak soils and high groundwater levels, were mitigated using advanced foundation techniques such as pile-supported structures, optimized embankments and surcharge areas. Mechanically stabilized earth walls up to 40 ft in height accommodated construction in a tight corridor and eliminated the need for perched walls.
Shifting the interstate alignment to the west preserved an energy transmission line in its current location, eliminating more than four years’ worth of design and relocation activities along with millions of dollars in relocation costs. The move also allowed major construction work to be completed outside the existing interstate footprint, reducing traffic shifts and increasing safety.
Robust safety efforts, including a sharp focus on best practices and Lane’s 4 Seconds 4 Safety initiative, helped the team complete more than 1 million worker hours on the project without a lost-time or recordable incident.
The project was completed at budget and on schedule in December of 2024.


