22/09/2026
Engineering teams knew they had to think differently to modernize a critical 18-mile transportation corridor in central Florida. State Road 35 (U.S. Highway 98) is an important artery that serves local businesses and carries regional freight. But like many highways across the U.S. Itโs been getting congested. Engineers knew they had to improve traffic flow while also improving safety and mobility for local communities.
Getting it done was no small feat. The State Road 35 (U.S. Highway 98) Design-Build project includes roadway reconstruction, widening, and realignment, along with six modern roundabouts, two bridge structures, signal upgrades, drainage and pond design, lighting improvements, extensive utility coordination, and a new shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists. Teams designed each element to help create a safer, more efficient, and more accessible corridor for the communities that rely on it every day.
The complex project is also helping advance how transportation infrastructure is delivered. Since it serves a Florida Department of Transportation Digital Delivery (NextGen Plans) pilot and a 3D model-based construction and engineering (CEI) inspection workflow, the team moved beyond traditional 2D plans and created 3D models. These models are now a finalist for a 2026 Year in Infrastructure Award.
The project included teams from Burgess & Niple (B&N), Prince Contracting, and AJAX Paving. As lead roadway design engineer, the B&N team managed complex corridor conditions. Using 3D modeling and Bentley tools, they simulated planned work before moving into the field, along with subsurface utilities and design elements, and integrated AI-driven drone analytics to track earthwork progress in near-real time.
The digital workflows significantly reduced the risk of costly field changes and improved overall team efficiency by about 20%.
But the biggest breakthrough? Collaboration. By aligning around a shared goal, the teams turned a high-stakes pilot into a practical example of what digital delivery can accomplish.
