I-95/J.T. Butler Boulevard Interchange Design

The complete redesign of the interchange between I-95 and J.T. Butler Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida, the project owner, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), realized it was best to implement new spliced U-girder technology. Traditionally, spliced girder bridges are used for continuous structures to facilitate longer spans. They were previously limited to straight concrete I-girder sections until recently. With the introduction of our new concrete technology and construction techniques, spliced U-girder technologies now allow the option of curved U-shaped bridges.

Summit Engineering Group, a Modjeski and Masters Company, serves as both the design EOR and the contractor’s engineer, a dual-role that is not common to have. Summit, which is located in Colorado, has more than 12 years of experience using this newer innovative technology, implementing it on several constructed bridges in Colorado. Because this is the first project of its kind for FDOT, and only the second ever in the state of Florida, bringing on experts with experience using this technology was critical. SEMA Construction, the contractor for this project, reached out to Summit specifically for the unique expertise we have from working with this technology on other projects in the United States.

The main goal of this project was to ease traffic congestion at this major interchange. Flyover 1, the main bridge of the project, will help to provide a continuous flow of traffic, allowing for a direct merge without stopping. With the introduction of new concrete technology and construction techniques, spliced U-girder technologies allowed the option of curved U-shaped bridges, which we were able to be used to complete the project in a time and cost-efficient manner.