Florida State Road 836 (Dolphin Expressway) is a 14.1 mile toll facility connecting Downtown Miami with Miami International Airport (MIA) and the western suburbs. Beginning at the Midtown Interchange with I-95/I-395, the Dolphin Expressway carries SR 836 through west central Miami and along the south side of MIA Airport. Systems interchanges join SR 836 with the Palmetto Expressway and the Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (HEFT). The toll road concludes at NW 137th Avenue west of Sweetwater.
The Dolphin Expressway is one of five toll roads operated and maintained by the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX). Originally designated the East-West Expressway, SR 836 was renamed to honor the National Football League (NFL) Miami Dolphins after their consecutive Super Bowl victories in 1973-74.
Florida State Road 836 Guides
Proposed in 1964 and opened by late 1968, the six-lane Dolphin (East-West) Expressway roughly followed the 12th Street corridor between the Midtown Interchange with I-95 near Downtown and SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway) west of Miami International Airport (MIA). Built with local funding, the expressway included a mainline toll plaza located between NW 17th and 27th Avenues. Designated as Interstate 395, a federally-funded 1.29 mile eastern extension of the Dolphin Expressway to MacArthur Causeway (SR A1A) opened by 1971.
An additional extension of the East-West Expressway west toward NW 137th Street was proposed in 1969. It included an interchange with the proposed West Dade Expressway (Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike). Work on the extension to the HEFT proceeded by 1970, with the toll road opened to traffic by early 19762. The final segment of SR 836 west to NW 137th Avenue would not be completed until 2007.
When the Interstate 75 designation was extended south from Tampa to Miami in 1969, the original proposal for the freeway was to cross the Everglades via the U.S. 41 corridor to West Dade, then connect to the planned extension of the East-West (Dolphin) Expressway, where it would continue east to I-95/I-395 at Downtown. Various factors, including costs of upgrading the existing Expressway to Interstate standards and regional opposition, derailed this proposed alignment by 1974 in favor of the Alligator Alley crossing.
In December 1994 the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) was formed, and two years later was allowed to assume operational and financial control of the area expressways, including the Dolphin Expressway. MDX immediately organized a comprehensive plan to modernize and update the existing expressway. The end result was a series of improvement projects beginning in 2000 that included widening of the mainline, ramp enhancements, and conversion to Open Road Tolling (ORT). A part of the comprehensive plan also involved the completion of the extension to NW 137th Avenue. Additional improvements included rebuilding the exchange at SR 836 / 826 into a multi level systems interchange. Part of a $560 million project, work at the interchange started in 2009 and continued beyond the anticipated completion of Fall 2015 into 2016.
A 15 mile extension of the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) was once proposed along a loop south through Kendall West and the Hammocks and east back to SW 136th Street near Kendall-Tamiami Airport (TMB).1
 scenes |
 | NW 137th Avenue continues north from NW 6th Street toward SR 836 (Dolphin Expressway) east in one half mile. Two entry points connect with the tolled expressway ahead. 07/05/11 |
  | A traffic signal operates at the first access point to SR 836 east from NW 137th Avenue at the 800 block. 07/05/11 |
 | A two lane ramp departs for SR 836 east to Miami International Airport (MIA) and Downtown Miami. The Dolphin Expressway carries the state road 14.1 miles between NW 137th Avenue and I-95/395. Tolls are collected via transponder or Toll-by-Plate method beyond this entrance point. 07/05/11 |
Background information for SR 836 was originally posted on TropicalTurnpikes.com and researched by Justin Cozart and Jason Learned. It was reproduced here with permission by Justin Cozart.
- Future projects: MDX State Road 836 Southwest Extension - Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (mdx-way.com)
- "State Road 836 extension delayed another six months", The Miami Times, July 17, 1975.
Photo Credits:
07/05/11 by AARoads
Connect with:
Interstate 95
Interstate 395 - Dolphin Expressway
Page Updated 03-24-2020.