A couple of major road projects that have been under construction for years are finally scheduled to wrap up this summer.
Both the I-95 Overland Bridge replacement and the Butler Blvd./I-95 interchange should be completed within the next few months, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Overland Bridge
The Overland Bridge replacement project began in 2013 and replaced key stretches of I-95 near the downtown exits. The completed project is expected to improve traffic flow along a high-volume stretch of the highway, and will also increase the vehicle capacity of this stretch.
A separated northbound connector lane will make downtown-bound traffic move way faster, bypassing cars headed toward the Fuller Warren Bridge.
In total, the project will have cost over $200 million by its completion.
It might not all be done by the end of summer – newer estimates are now claiming early fall as the date for the entire project to be wrapped up – but we should start seeing new stretches of the roadway opening gradually starting in June.
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I-95/JTB Interchange
The Butler Blvd./I-95 interchange project started in the summer of 2014, and brought about a complete overhaul of the westernmost stretch of J. Turner Butler Blvd.
The road was widened, and both the northbound and southbound I-95 exits on Butler were reconfigured.
Additionally – and most significantly – two flyover ramps were constructed to allow a smoother flow of traffic between I-95 and Butler. Once completed, this new configuration will also eliminate the dangerous weaving that previously occurred between westbound Butler Blvd. traffic and cars coming from Belfort Rd. as each tried to get to westbound Butler or the I-95 ramps.
The project is valued at $67 million, according to FDOT.
Having both of these major projects completed will be a relief to I-95 commuters, who have dealt with the woes of construction for the past few years. We really, really hope it has the expected effect on traffic flow.
But if you’re hoping for a complete end to major roadway construction, we have bad news. As we mentioned in the spring issue, the next big project is already on deck, as the Overland Bridge crew will move north to the Fuller Warren Bridge and the I-10/I-95 interchange.
