Is it ready yet?
A state construction project that began in April closed parts of the Rickenbacker Causeway, causing chaos and infuriating thousands of motorists, some of whom were stuck for up to five hours.
The closures caused traffic chaos and public outrage as a flood of Key Biscayne residents and those who had spent the day in Crandon Park were stuck for hours in gridlocked traffic leaving the Key. As a result, the Florida Department of Transportation was forced to quickly reopen the closed roads, temporarily delaying construction of the flyover bridge connecting Key Biscayne to the mainland.
Now, months later, FDOT’s plan to repair the concrete pavement will resume on July 8.
Why the old plan didn’t work
FDOT began preliminary construction work on April 14, closing both the northbound and southbound ramps that connect the causeway to South Dixie Highway and northbound I-95. The closure led to many drivers leaving their cars stuck in traffic, camping on the side of the road or walking miles to restaurants or supermarkets in search of water and bathrooms.
The traffic jams led to protests among citizens, including a petition to postpone the construction project until the summer, which attracted more than 2,500 signatures. John Bolton, FDOT senior project engineer for the rehabilitation project, called the situation a “catastrophe” in April at a Key Biscayne Council meeting in May.
Although FDOT officials claimed the construction is part of a “rehabilitation project” that is “indispensable to the structural integrity” of the bridges, the night of chaos forced the agency to reconsider the closure and ultimately postpone further work until June, when schools are out. the summer.
What is the solution?
The first phase will close the ramp from the western Rickenbacker Causeway to southbound US 1/South Dixie Highway. This ramp is expected to be closed from Monday, July 8 at 1:00 AM through Saturday, July 20 at 6:00 AM. During this time, the northbound ramp connecting to I-95 North will remain open.
The second phase starts on Sunday, July 21 at 10:00 PM and runs until Saturday, August 3 at 6:00 AM. This phase closes the northbound ramp that connects to I-95 North. The southbound ramp, connecting the causeway to US 1/South Dixie Highway, remains open.
“Over the past several weeks, FDOT has been working very closely with our transportation partners, including Miam-Dade County, The Village of Key Biscayne and the City of Miami, local law enforcement and emergency responders to develop a traffic maintenance plan that minimizes impacts” Cynthia Turcios , a spokesperson for FDOT District Six, said in a June 20 statement to The Herald.
“As a result,” she noted, “we have developed a comprehensive strategy to successfully complete the required renovation work in two phases, closing one westbound flyover ramp at each time.”
Each phase of rehabilitation will last twelve days.
Are more traffic delays expected?
Despite delaying the project, FDOT still expects “heavy traffic and delays along the Rickenbacker Causeway and surrounding areas during these closures,” the department said.
Traffic will be particularly acute during the north ramp closure as the north ramp is used by approximately twice as many cars as the south ramp, Bolton said in a statement to the Key Biscayne Council.
“It’s a challenge because we’re adding an extra 1,500 vehicles per hour on top of an already congested interchange,” Bolton added, “so there are obvious challenges.”
To help reduce such obstacles, FDOT has developed individual traffic control plans for each ramp closure, and the department will station police officers at each intersection “during peak periods.”
How to navigate the closures:
FDOT’s detours and traffic plans for each platform closure are shown in the two maps below.
Southbound closure:
Northbound closure:
