South Florida

[Alps]

I was just down there this past week, interchange looked ready to go but I couldn't see if the road on top connected to anything due to the trees.  Looks like a nice regular diamond interchange - would have gotten pictures but it came upon me rather suddenly!

[74/171FAN]

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/mar/26/i-95-interchange-crosstown-parkway-opens-saturday/  I-95  interchange at Crosstown Pkwy now open.

[Alex]

This story was posted on the FLRoads Yahoo Roads Group, so I thought I would share it here:

Stimulus money to complete Palmetto Expressway makeover
The last segment of the years-long reconstruction of the Palmetto Expressway, the rebuilding of the massive interchange at the junction of the Palmetto and Dolphin Expressways -- will begin in just months.
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When the Palmetto Expressway was built almost 50 years ago, some saw it as a highway to nowhere because it sliced through farm fields in sparsely populated western Dade County.

But as Miami-Dade County grew, so did congestion on the Palmetto -- to the point where some beleaguered commuters began calling it the Crawl-metto.

To ease congestion, state transportation officials slowly began widening the roadway. Now the 12th and last reconstruction segment is scheduled to begin -- thanks to President Barack Obama's $787 billion federal stimulus program for roads, bridges and transit.

By August, the Florida Department of Transportation expects to select the private company or group of companies that will rebuild the massive interchange at the junction of the Palmetto and Dolphin Expressways -- one of South Florida's busiest with more than 430,000 vehicles a day using its confusing ramps and flyovers.

Construction is expected to begin late this year or early next year and will last about six years. Once complete, the project will mark the end of the decades-long reconstruction of a 17-mile portion of the 24-mile roadway -- from its southernmost end at U.S. 1 in Kendall to north of Northwest 158th Street in Miami Lakes.

Transportation officials said the new interchange will ease congestion at one of the most heavily traveled highway junctions in South Florida. One of the reasons traffic backs up at the interchange is because it was never properly designed. It grew piece by piece as ramps and flyovers became necessary to accommodate growing traffic.

''When you look at how the interchange is now configured, it has operational deficiencies,'' said Alice Bravo, FDOT's director of transportation development in Miami.

``There are left-hand entrances and exits, which should be on the right. If you go from southbound Palmetto to eastbound 836, you come in on the left and need to weave across several lanes to an exit, and if you try to go eastbound on 836 in the morning, the queue stretches back to past the turnpike.''

The $552 million interchange project will be the fourth-most expensive transportation project in South Florida. Only reconstruction of Interstate 595 in Broward County at $1.8 billion, construction of the Miami Intermodal Center transit hub at $1.7 billion and the proposed Port of Miami tunnel at $1 billion are more costly.

Widening and reconstruction stems from an FDOT study in the late 1980s that concluded the road needed to be widened -- and in some places rebuilt.

But it wasn't until 1994 that reconstruction started when workers began adding one lane in each direction, new ramps and a drainage system on the northern stretch of the road from Northwest 122nd to 158th streets.

DRIVEN BY MONEY

The state transportation agency divided the project into 12 segments, mainly because it didn't have the money to do the whole project all at once. As money became available, segments were done.

Obama's stimulus program for transportation made possible completion of the last and most ambitious of the segments: the 826-836 interchange.

The Miami district six office of the state transportation agency was assigned about $126 million in stimulus money for projects.

While the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization, a transportation planning board, voted in February to recommend that the money be assigned to another highway project, a portion of a truck viaduct near Miami International Airport, the transportation agency decided to spend the bulk of the money on the interchange.

Gus Pego, the state transportation agency chief in Miami, said the planning board's recommendation was considered, but which project the stimulus money would be spent on was a discretionary decision by the agency.

In the end, state officials, in coordination with lawmakers in Tallahassee, chose the interchange project over the viaduct since the interchange would put the greatest number of people to work. Broward's pick was construction of a flyover at Dixie Highway in Deerfield Beach.

The cost of the new interchange will be covered by $87.5 million in stimulus money, $200 million from the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority -- which operates 836 -- and $264.5 million from FDOT, Bravo said.

''It's fully funded thanks to stimulus funds,'' Bravo said. ``It made it possible.''

Bravo added that another reason the interchange was picked was because her agency had already spent about $180 million in right-of-way purchases and relocation of homes and businesses that will be affected by construction.

OTHER PROJECTS

The balance of the $126 million the agency was assigned for road and bridge projects will go to two other projects: reconstruction of the final segment of the 18-mile stretch on U.S. 1 south of Florida City and implementation of all-electronic tolling on the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike.

While off-peak detours, lane and ramp closures are likely throughout the project, Bravo said the interchange will remain open to traffic.

Though the heart of the project is new ramps and flyovers that will replace the existing configuration, the project includes reconstruction of nearby interchanges of the Palmetto at Flagler Street and 836 at Milam Dairy Road, Bravo said.

Bravo said that once the project is finished, traffic will move more efficiently through the interchange, now congested during peak travel hours in the morning and evening.

[florida]

If it could be done, route it down 826 to US 1, and the small east-west portion of 826 between the curve and I-95 could become an I-x75.

I could always dream.

[74/171FAN]

South Miami Busway could be converted into express lanes(tolled of course)  http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/4205

[74/171FAN]

The I-95 Express Lanes could make it to the Broward-Palm Beach County Line  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/sfl-interstate-95-express-070909,0,5425852.story

[thomasvista]

Even the plastic poles used to separate the express lanes from local traffic were derided as "freaking ugly."

That's just loltastic! The plastic poles really do nothing - people drive over them like a speed bump.

It would be really neat to see how this decision affects the design for the I-95 widening in north Broward. If it's incorporated now as opposed to after, perhaps it can be built "right" without having 11 feet lanes and those useless poles.

I will look at work and see what I can dig up regarding the I-95 widening. In other I-95 news, us folks at FDOT are in the PD&E stage of a new interchange at SR 710 in Palm Beach. I attended a VE workshop on that on Friday, and it was pretty interesting to see what is proposed there.

[florida]

Finally an interchange for SR 710 on I-95 surprisingly. It's usually the Turnpike that's behind the times.

[lamsalfl]

Bingo!  Sounds like with SR 710 hooked up, we'll be welcoming an Exit 75 to I-95 in FL!   

Only a few more to go to make it continuous exit numbers from 1-80ish. 

[thomasvista]

Finally an interchange for SR 710 on I-95 surprisingly. It's usually the Turnpike that's behind the times.

Things have changed in recent years. In 2003, the SIS (Strategic Intermodal System) was created by the Fla. legislature, which forced FDOT to develop a system of "intermodal" facilities, which include roadways. SR 710 was designated as an SIS roadway since it connects with the Port of Palm Beach (also an SIS facility). Because of this, FDOT wants to add an interchange on I-95 at SR 710, so that SIS facilities are connected (I-95, SR 710 and the Port).

Of course, this interchange is years away. At the VE study, the most viable interchange option presented, IMHO, was one identical to SR 710 and the Turnpike. Others included flyovers at 710 and a C/D system or braided ramps between 45th Street and Blue Heron. But those easily add $200-300 million to the price tag of the project.

[florida]

Things have changed in recent years. In 2003, the SIS (Strategic Intermodal System) was created by the Fla. legislature, which forced FDOT to develop a system of "intermodal" facilities, which include roadways. SR 710 was designated as an SIS roadway since it connects with the Port of Palm Beach (also an SIS facility). Because of this, FDOT wants to add an interchange on I-95 at SR 710, so that SIS facilities are connected (I-95, SR 710 and the Port).

Of course, this interchange is years away. At the VE study, the most viable interchange option presented, IMHO, was one identical to SR 710 and the Turnpike. Others included flyovers at 710 and a C/D system or braided ramps between 45th Street and Blue Heron. But those easily add $200-300 million to the price tag of the project.

That's true about the port. 45th and Blue Heron aren't the best alternatives. It's also one of the last state routes to have a connection with an interstate, especially in SoFlo.

[i-95]

Bingo!  Sounds like with SR 710 hooked up, we'll be welcoming an Exit 75 to I-95 in FL!  

Only a few more to go to make it continuous exit numbers from 1-80ish. 

Wow, I always wanted to access Bee Line Highway (SR-710) from I-95. I guess we have luck.

[thomasvista]

That's true about the port. 45th and Blue Heron aren't the best alternatives. It's also one of the last state routes to have a connection with an interstate, especially in SoFlo.

The only other state road that doesn't have a link with I-95 is Lake Worth Road, but that'll never happen.

[lamsalfl]

Thomasvista,

Since you said the interchange will look identical design to the one at the Turnpike, then I guess this means "bye bye trailer park".  Right?

[lamsalfl]

That's true about the port. 45th and Blue Heron aren't the best alternatives. It's also one of the last state routes to have a connection with an interstate, especially in SoFlo.

The only other state road that doesn't have a link with I-95 is Lake Worth Road, but that'll never happen.

Odd. How come back in the day they never built a direct interchange to Downtown Lake Worth before all the land around the Interstate was developed?

[thomasvista]

That's true about the port. 45th and Blue Heron aren't the best alternatives. It's also one of the last state routes to have a connection with an interstate, especially in SoFlo.

The only other state road that doesn't have a link with I-95 is Lake Worth Road, but that'll never happen.

Odd. How come back in the day they never built a direct interchange to Downtown Lake Worth before all the land around the Interstate was developed?

Probably because the City of Lake Worth didn't want one there, since Lake/Lucerne Ave is the main drag through their downtown. I'd have to do some historical research on this.

An interesting tidbit: when I-95 was built through Lake Worth, it ate up the student parking lot at Lake Worth High School. To make up for that, the Palm Beach County School Board actually leases the land underneath the elevated I-95 section from FDOT for student parking.

[thomasvista]

Thomasvista,

Since you said the interchange will look identical design to the one at the Turnpike, then I guess this means "bye bye trailer park".  Right?

No actually, the proposal was a "tight" design that will just go butt up against the trailer park. And keep in mind, no major decision have been made about the interchange. It's still in the preliminary planning stages. It could very well change.

[lamsalfl]

Interesting.  I'll have to look at the aerials again.  Hey, check your private messages...

[mightyace]

The Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike is scheduled to be All Electronic by spring 2011.

Contracts for conversion of Florida Turnpike's busy HEFT to all-electronic/cashless tolling

[Jim]

The Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike is scheduled to be All Electronic by spring 2011.

Sure would be nice if they included an extension of SunPass to accept payment through all those E-Z Pass transponders us northeasterners have in our cars when we are visiting Florida!

[Bryant5493]

Quick question: What's the speed limit on the Overseas Highway (U.S. 1)? I was looking at Modern Marvels on History today. Cool highway, it is.


Be well,

Bryant

[agentsteel53]

I believe it is 55 during the day, but expect to be often caught behind RVs doing 45.

at night, it is 35 (one of the few night speed limits outside of Texas) to protect the Key Deer, which is endangered.

[Bryant5493]

Wow! 35?

Thanks!


Be well,

Bryant

[okroads]

There is only a night speed limit of 35 through the key that the Key Deer are on (Big Pine Key). Otherwise, the day and night speed limits are the same on the Overseas Highway.

[Bryant5493]

^^ Thanks.

Isn't there another nighttime speed limit in Florida? Alligator Alley? Might not be, but I read something about something like that.


Be well,

Bryant