The makeover of a 21-mile stretch of Interstate 4 includes a proposed pedestrian bridge between Universal Orlando and hotels across Kirkman Road.
Now government officials are asking Universal Orlando to help pay for maintenance of the bridge, which would serve hundreds of people each day primarily going to and from the resort.
I-4 Mobility Partners, the consortium selected to redo I-4 from Kirkman Road to State Road 434, suggested the $3 million bridge as an extra in its bid for the $2.3 billion project. The bridge was one of several features that made the bid "stand out above the others," Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Olson said.
The project also includes revamping the I-4 interchange with Kirkman Road, an exit that leads to International Drive and Universal.
FDOT wants the city of Orlando to handle maintenance of the pedestrian bridge that would cross Kirkman Road, a state thoroughfare, just north of Major Boulevard. Orlando officials, who say they weren't expecting the maintenance expense, in turn want Universal to help foot the bill.
"Here comes something that is really nice we didn't negotiate for, but I-4 Mobility Partners decided to throw in. We've got to figure out how to get it maintained," said Charles Ramdatt, Orlando's transportation engineer and deputy public-works director.
"We have been quietly in the background negotiating with private-sector partners to help us who would benefit," he said.
Universal is one, he said, but he did not identify others. The city is still trying to get a handle on maintenance costs, a spokeswoman said.
Universal wouldn't answer specific questions about the bridge or the other road improvements.
"We are supportive of transportation projects that enhance overall safety, convenience and traffic flow around our destination," spokesman Tom Schroder said in an email. "And we are working to be good partners with local and state transportation officials. But we're not going to discuss specific projects — especially those still in the planning stages."
The bridge has not been designed, and there is no timetable for its construction. It is still unclear which entity would own it.
Funding for the entire I-4 Ultimate project is coming from state and federal coffers, as well as the Central Florida Expressway Authority and, eventually, tolls from express lanes.
I-4 Mobility Partners, the consortium that first proposed the bridge, could not be reached for comment.
The bridge would serve tourists going to Orlando from a cluster of hotels across the street such as the DoubleTree by Hilton. Also, the I-Ride Trolley stops across Kirkman Road from Universal. Tourists such as Cindy Kambric of Pittsburgh, who was staying at a nearby resort, took the trolley to its closest Universal stop and then crossed Kirkman.
Kambric's 27-year-old daughter, Maggie, who has Down syndrome, walked slowly, and her mother feared the light would change before they crossed the nine lanes of traffic including turn lanes. "Come on, Mag, you've got to move a little faster," she urged.
It would be "awesome" to have a bridge making it easier for the group to cross at a more leisurely pace, she said.
Luann Brooks, executive director of the I-Drive Business Improvement District, which operates the I-Ride Trolley, agrees.
"We'd obviously love to see a pedestrian bridge put in down there just because of the number of people who go from Major Boulevard over to Universal Studios," she said.
The trolley does not stop directly at Universal because the resort is not a member of the special-assessment district, Brooks said.
Brooks says the changes to Kirkman Road will make it easier for people to reach a number of businesses. An interchange reconfiguration will eliminate left-hand offramps for drivers exiting I-4 and simplify access to the interstate from Kirkman Road. Grand National Drive will also be extended over I-4 and will connect with Major Boulevard. That is expected to ease congestion on Kirkman.
Universal has another taxpayer-funded pedestrian bridge at its resort, which connects its Cabana Bay hotel with its theme parks. Orlando and Orange County approved spending for the $4.5 million bridge. Universal handles its day-to-day maintenance, and Orlando is responsible for capital improvements.
Better managing the traffic flow into Universal helps give visitors a more favorable feeling about the resort, said Scott Smith, an assistant hospitality professor at the University of South Carolina.
"You want people's arrival to be nice and smooth," he said. "You don't want them to be frustrated and angry as their first impression."
Also, he said, "the quicker you get them, in the quicker they start spending their money."