SR 417 Curry Ford MainlINe Toll Plaza Conversion
Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority
Orlando, Florida

WBQ designed the expansion of the Curry Ford Toll Plaza to accommodate two express E-PASS lanes (open road tolling) and four change lanes (two manned) in each direction.  The design also included pavement widening to allow for an additional lane in each direction to accommodate future widening of S.R. 417.  The change lanes are outside of the mainline expressway and connected to the mainline by on and off ramps.  The proximity of the Lee Vista Boulevard interchange to the south and the presence of an existing overhead truss sign that spans the mainline roadway also necessitated a thorough review of weaving movements, lane tapers and lane drops.  An integral part of the design was milling and resurfacing of the mainline pavement from the Lee Vista Boulevard Bridge to the terminus of the expansion, located approximately 3,000 feet north of the toll plaza.  Maintenance of traffic provided for four cash lanes and one E-PASS lane to remain open in each direction throughout construction of the expanded facility.  Permitting agencies were South Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Orange County Public Utilities. 

Narcoossee Road
City of Orlando
Orlando, Florida

WBQ Design and Engineering, Inc. was the prime consultant to the City of Orlando for the Narcoossee Road Improvements project.  The scope of work was to perform a preliminary development and environmental (PD&E) study, and prepare final construction documents for a 4.6 mile expansion of a two-lane rural roadway into a four-lane urban divided highway, complete with medians, turn lanes, and intersection improvements. The PD&E phase of the project involved coordination of multiple disciplines for data collection, including route surveying, geotechnical investigations, drainage basin studies, environmental assessments, wetlands mitigation, and traffic impact analysis. The study also included an analysis of an existing multiple duct box culvert for structural integrity and to evaluate its capacity for drainage conveyance.  In the early stages of the study, WBQ conducted several public involvement meetings to gather input from the adjacent landowners and developers regarding the most suitable roadway cross section and alignment for the project. This information was essential in establishing the surveying scope to identify the additional rights-of-way required section and to prepare legal descriptions for construction easements and the acquisition of property for remote stormwater management ponds.  The data assembled during this phase was used to develop several design alternatives, together with associated cost estimates for each, for presentation to the City of Orlando staff and the affected landowners.  

The final design phase also required a significant coordination effort among multiple disciplines for the various design elements of the project.  The roadway expansion included the drainage design for an enclosed stormwater collection and conveyance system consisting of pipe lines and inlet structures which discharge into seven wet detention ponds.  Another major element of the project was the planning and design of utility corridors within the right-of-way for water supply and sanitary sewerage systems, a reclaimed water main, telecommunication and CATV duct banks, underground duct systems for electrical distribution, and a natural gas pipe line extension.  The construction documents also included detailed drawings for an innovative landscape design within the medians and parkways, together with an extensive, multi-zone irrigation system utilizing the reclaimed water main as its supply source.  The plan review and permitting process involved a significant agency coordination effort to obtain permitting approval from South Florida Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, and the City of Orlando.