Building the diverging diamond interchange and widening SR 18 will be accomplished through several stages of construction during which travelers can expect traffic shifts, speed reductions and intermittent lane and ramp closures throughout the life of the project. Congestion will increase during construction, so people should plan extra time for trips or find alternative routes.
The first stage of construction began in April Contractor crews cleared trees in the project area to begin work on the new interchange and highway widening. To create enough space on SR 18 for a safe work zone, we reduced lanes to one lane in each direction and shifted traffic to the east side of the roadway.
In August , we shifted traffic to the west side of the newly constructed Lake Creek bridge. People heading westbound from the interchange should be aware of drivers taking left turns onto Southeast th Street during peak travel times. A variety of construction activities are taking place throughout the project area.
Some of this work includes:. A diverging diamond interchange is a proven way to keep traffic flowing and improve safety by reducing the potential for collisions.
In a traditional interchange, three phases of traffic signals are required to move traffic through the intersection, including separate phase for left turns. In a diverging diamond interchange, through-traffic and left turns happen at the same time, eliminating the need for a separate left-turn phase.
