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South Florida

Started by i-95, January 23, 2009, 11:54:16 AM

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i-95

I heard that on I-95 in port saint lucy, florida. there is a new exit 120 on the build. does anybody know what is the road's name?


John

Couldn't find it on any maps or satellite images. Could be SW Juliet Ave.
They came, they went, they took my image...

FLRoads

The only thing I could find on this project can be found here.  There are apparently two studies, one for Crosstown Parkway and I-95 and one for Becker Road and I-95.  There is a lot to read about these projects on their website.  If you know if they have actually started construction, let us know, we'd like to hear about it!!

Larbearfl

I was visiting South Florida in October and took the SR 869 for the first time in years.  I noticed they posted "old" and "new" exit numbers then.  Didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but noticed all my 2008 Florida/Broward Co maps had the old numbers.  I decided to drive it and sent an email to the Public Relations lady at the Turnpike to confirm.  The new exit numbers are shown on this .pdf, with the exception of the Florida's Turnpike exit listed as 21A (South) and 21B (North):

http://www.floridasturnpike.com/maps/UpdatedMaps2008/sawgrass_expressway.pdf


i-95

i think its Crosstown Parkway because when i was driving home from Port Saint Lucie last Sunday, i saw exit 120 sign with cross and then covered by a black thingy. so crosstown parkway may be it.

FLRoads

Ah, so the guide signs were covered in "body bags".  Sounds like that the interchange will be opening soon.  Have they done anything with the Becker Road interchange further south?

i-95

I didn't see too much of the Becker construction. but, i do know that the Crosstown thing is gonna open very soon. because just before Turnpike's Bee Line Hwy exit opened like 2 years ago, a body bag covered the exit only sign.

Alex

Quote from: voyager on January 24, 2009, 11:48:06 PM
Honestly I've never understood exit numbers. They always vary so much from state to state.

Well they are either mile-based or sequential-based, please elaborate on what you cannot understand.  :spin:

agentsteel53

except for the Mass Pike which is kinda sequential for varying definitions of sequential
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

Alex

Well at least California decided that their second attempt at giving exit numbers will eventually include every stretch of freeway in the state, not just the Interstates.

John

The one good thing about California's exit numbering is that they will be replacing almost every freeway sign, and therefore, those old, faded button copies that have been overdue for replacement for years will finally be retired.
They came, they went, they took my image...

FLRoads

Quote from: John on January 25, 2009, 10:07:06 AM
The one good thing about California's exit numbering is that they will be replacing almost every freeway sign, and therefore, those old, faded button copies that have been overdue for replacement for years will finally be retired.

Well, they don't have the funding to replace all those "old, faded button copies", so a lot of them should remain in place even after the exit numbers are added.  And even in replacing signs, CalTrans can't seem to grab the concept of actually using exit tabs, instead just inserting the exit number onto the existing guide sign.

And why is it necessary to replace all these old signs if they are still legible to the driver?  It seems to be a growing trend in this country for the government to get rid of everything that is different (like the old button copied signs) and make it uniform with the rest.

Alex

On top of that, to save on funds, Caltrans has often just retrofitted the old button copy signs to include exit numbers. A number of signs in Orange County feature the reflective green exit number placards on top of the non-reflective bases.

Alex

There's really not much else to say about the Sawgrass Expressway exit renumbering.  ;-)

Seriously, the only other things about the Sawgrass I can say is that 2005's Hurricane Wilma KO'd over half the signs, and the number "869" was stolen from Lee County (thanks to flaroadgeek for that tidbit!)

i-95

this morning, I was taking a ride with my dad. while, on palmetto park rd (SR-798), i passed by something new. in the junction of oriole country road/SR-798, I saw a sign that read "Judge Winikoff road". i guess oriole country changed its name??? u may please look it up, tell me what u find out.

Larbearfl

Yes, as per MY SUGGESTION (My Dad-Barry), (through the West Boca Chamber of Commerce) the County Commission changed the name of the road.
I had originally suggested Jeff Winikoff Blvd. but since he was a judge and they wanted to keep the road word, they changed it to Judge Winikoff road.

Larbearfl

It was changed due to his years of effort as president of the Loggers Run Homeowners Association in preventing the dump, forestalling the bridge (University Drive extension from Broward to Palm Beach Cos), etc. etc. etc. Good friend of mine. went to his funeral. 40 judges marching in with robes. Closed down Jog road and made a parking lot out of 4 of the 6 lanes. every politico in PB county there. If you dropped a bomb on the place, would have wiped out politics in the county!

i-95


i-95


Alex

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/sfl-flb5950222sbfeb22,0,4075837.story
==
Huge project to expand Interstate 595 in Broward County to begin this summer
More lanes, safer ramps, new jobs: Construction will begin this summer on massive project to accommodate traffic growth

By Michael Turnbell | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
February 22, 2009

Are you ready for a $1.79 billion jolt?

The most expensive road project in Florida history will shake up Interstate 595 beginning this summer, creating thousands of construction jobs and pumping up to $1 million a day into the economy.

The downside is that drivers will have to endure five years of barricades, alternate routes and lane closures.

Maybe they'll forget such headaches in 2014, when a new and improved I-595 debuts with reversible express lanes for long-distance commuters, new entrance and exit ramps, and a safer, less confusing Florida's Turnpike interchange.

The historic project will be built by a Spanish construction conglomerate teaming up with local contractors, equipment and workers in Florida's first public-private road deal.

By using the private company's financing up front, state officials hope to finish the project in one-third the time it would otherwise take. Had the state built the project the way construction is usually funded, it would have required more than a dozen separate contracts and taken 15 to 20 years to complete.State officials plan to sign a contract with ACS Infrastructure Development by the end of this week.

A much-needed expansion
When I-595 opened in 1989, the 13-mile road cost more than $1.2 billion. At the time, it was the most expensive road project ever undertaken in Florida.

But the highway reached its capacity of 120,000 vehicles a day in the early '90s as southwest Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports grew much faster than planners forecast, especially after Hurricane Andrew fueled an exodus of Miami-Dade County residents into Broward. Traffic mushroomed from 60,000 vehicles a day in September 1990 to more than 125,000 seven months later.

Today, the busiest stretch of I-595 carries more than 180,000 vehicles a day.

By 2030, as many as 300,000 are expected.

Planners say easing congestion on I-595 will take more than adding lanes. They also aim to address the problems that cause traffic backups and hazards that lead to accidents today – such as replacing entrance and exit ramps that are too close to each other with "braided" ramps so exiting traffic can rise over entrance ramps.

Preparations to begin in spring
Once the contract is signed, ACS Infrastructure Development must begin construction in 150 days. That means drivers should see signs of road work by late July or August.

Some jobs, however, such as relocating utilities and building noise walls, will begin this spring.

Specific construction plans, such as what will be built first, will be announced in the coming months.

In early talks with the contractor, officials said it appears work will focus first on the outside lanes of I-595. After workers finish rebuilding those lanes, they should shift traffic to the new lanes while the inside lanes are constructed.

The entire road won't be rebuilt. In its bid proposal, the contractor curtailed costs by incorporating some existing bridges, such as the University Drive flyovers, into the new design.

Paying for a faster commute will be option
Traffic on the reversible express lanes will flow eastbound in the morning and westbound in the evening between Interstate 75 and State Road 7.

But unlike the new express lanes on I-95 in Miami that are separated from regular traffic by a row of plastic poles, I-595's express lanes will be divided by concrete barriers.

Drivers will use SunPass to pay tolls that will increase when demand is highest at rush hour.

The concept, called "congestion pricing," relies on simple economics: The higher the price, the more likely some drivers are likely to use the regular travel lanes or drive at a less congested time of day.

The state will control the toll rates and retain the toll revenue, which will be used to help pay for some of the improvements.

Financial incentive to finish project
In a public-private partnership, a private company designs, builds, maintains and operates a road over a period of years and pays part or all of the costs up front, then is repaid later. In I-595's case, ACS Infrastructure Development will finance, design and build the project over five years, then maintain the road from 2014 until 2044.

ACS won't get a dime from the state until after construction is finished. The sooner the project is built, the sooner the team can start receiving payments.

The team is to receive a total of $685 million in "final acceptance" payments spread over seven years plus "availability payments" of $63.98 million a year for 30 years. The amount of the availability payments will depend on how well the contractor maintains I-595 and keeps lanes open to traffic.

A big boost for local economy
The project is expected to have a huge impact on the South Florida economy.

In Florida, every $1 billion spent on nonresidential construction will create at least 23,000 jobs, add $2.3 billion to the state's gross domestic product and contribute about $748 million to personal earnings, according to Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Association of General Contractors.

That includes 7,800 new construction workers, 3,700 new suppliers and 11,000 new jobs throughout the broader economy.

Construction headquarters for the project team will be an office with 30,000 square feet in Davie, with as many as 200 full-time workers.

brad2971

Now that construction is about to begin on I-595, wouldn't it be a great time to consider renumbering that freeway/tollway to I-75, followed by renumbering the rest of I-75 south of I-595 an extension of State Road 869? One wonders what FDOT was thinking when it decided to route I-75 in Miami/Ft Lauderdale the way they did, especially considering that there's no possible way to route I-75 down Gratigny Pkwy to I-95 without paying megabillions to buy up property in that area.

74/171FAN

Quote from: brad2971 on March 08, 2009, 03:29:36 PM
Now that construction is about to begin on I-595, wouldn't it be a great time to consider renumbering that freeway/tollway to I-75, followed by renumbering the rest of I-75 south of I-595 an extension of State Road 869? One wonders what FDOT was thinking when it decided to route I-75 in Miami/Ft Lauderdale the way they did, especially considering that there's no possible way to route I-75 down Gratigny Pkwy to I-95 without paying megabillions to buy up property in that area.
I concur with that except for the short section of I-595 east of I-95.  I-75 should end at I-95.  However, I was thinking of FL 924 or an I-x75 taking over the current I-75 instead of FL 869, but FL 869 still works for me. 
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.

FLRoads

Quote from: brad2971 on March 08, 2009, 03:29:36 PM
Now that construction is about to begin on I-595, wouldn't it be a great time to consider renumbering that freeway/tollway to I-75, followed by renumbering the rest of I-75 south of I-595 an extension of State Road 869? One wonders what FDOT was thinking when it decided to route I-75 in Miami/Ft Lauderdale the way they did, especially considering that there's no possible way to route I-75 down Gratigny Pkwy to I-95 without paying megabillions to buy up property in that area.

I believe the possible reason for Interstate 75 ending at Florida 826 instead of, say, Interstate 95 might have to do with how many miles the interstate was given when originally planned. The second iteration of the Interstate 75 route through southwest Florida over to the east coast had it running along the U.S. 41 corridor, then over to the Florida 836 (Dolphin Expressway) corridor to Interstate 95 (this proposal was in the early 1970's). This proposal (when adding the mileage) roughly equals 108 miles. If you add the current Interstate 75 mileage from Naples to its current end it also adds up to roughly 108 miles. And if AASHTO or the Federal Highway Administration did not allow Florida any additional miles for Insterstate 75, then there was no choice but to end the interstate where it currently ends.

That is my theory anyway. I would like to find any concrete evidence to support this theory, or if anyone can shed any light on this...

74/171FAN

Quote from: flaroadgeek on March 08, 2009, 11:44:21 PM
Quote from: brad2971 on March 08, 2009, 03:29:36 PM
Now that construction is about to begin on I-595, wouldn't it be a great time to consider renumbering that freeway/tollway to I-75, followed by renumbering the rest of I-75 south of I-595 an extension of State Road 869? One wonders what FDOT was thinking when it decided to route I-75 in Miami/Ft Lauderdale the way they did, especially considering that there's no possible way to route I-75 down Gratigny Pkwy to I-95 without paying megabillions to buy up property in that area.

I believe the possible reason for Interstate 75 ending at Florida 826 instead of, say, Interstate 95 might have to do with how many miles the interstate was given when originally planned. The second iteration of the Interstate 75 route through southwest Florida over to the east coast had it running along the U.S. 41 corridor, then over to the Florida 836 (Dolphin Expressway) corridor to Interstate 95 (this proposal was in the early 1970's). This proposal (when adding the mileage) roughly equals 108 miles. If you add the current Interstate 75 mileage from Naples to its current end it also adds up to roughly 108 miles. And if AASHTO or the Federal Highway Administration did not allow Florida any additional miles for Insterstate 75, then there was no choice but to end the interstate where it currently ends.

That is my theory anyway. I would like to find any concrete evidence to support this theory, or if anyone can shed any light on this...
However if I-75 was put on I-595 to end at I-95 then there would be approximately seven less miles on I-75 than there is on its current route(its only about twelve miles on I-595 from I-75 to I-95
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.

florida

It has to be the Crosstown Parkway, hands down. We visited family down California Blvd last month and the almost-finished Crosstown did extend to I-95.
So many roads...so little time.



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