Interstate 4 connects Tampa to Daytona Beach via Lakeland, Orlando, and Sanford. The route originally went to Saint Petersburg on current Interstate 275. FDOT considers the route to be state route 400, which continues into Daytona Beach from the east end at Interstate 95.

I-4 goes through downtown Orlando because of the efforts of Martin Andersen, an influential businessman who also got Florida's Turnpike to pass near Orlando. The original proposed alignment would have left the current alignment around Kirkman Road and gone north and northeast to return to the current alignment near either Maitland Boulevard or Lake Mary Boulevard.

I-4 begins in Daytona, Florida at it's junction with I-95 and ends in Tampa, Florida. It is one of few Interstate highways the is located entirely in a single state. Routes with a general North-South direction are oddly-numbered, and East-West routes have even numbers. Numbers are lowest in the South and West . There are exceptions to this rule, because I-4 runs from Tampa, Florida to Daytona, Florida. Not only is it an Intrastate, but it's route is primarily North-South, it only meanders East-West in some areas. However, it is called an Interstate and has an even number.

According to statistics on www.trans4mation.org, the Interstate carries the greatest number of people and vehicles of any transportation facility in the region. The road is going to be expanded and all the exits have already been re-named. They have been named to match the mile markers on the road. For information on what the new exit numbers are, go to http://www11.myflorida.com/planning/statistics/intreport/I4.htm.

The addition to the road will ultimately be 2 extra lanes for "high occupancy vehicles" up to SR 472. I-4 currently has 4 lanes for general purpose, only Orange County and parts of Seminole and Osceola County have 4 lanes. All of these areas will get 2 extra lanes, according to trans4mation.org. The overall additions are estimated to cost a whopping 2.7 billion dollars and won't be finished until 2015, with local contributions, and 2035 if they rely on state funding.

Sources and places for more info:
http://www11.myflorida.com/planning/statistics/intreport/I4.htm
http://www.trans4mation.org
http://www.roadguides.com/i4/i4home.htm
http://www.i4.org

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