‘100% needed’: Commuters hope linking Sawgrass Expressway to I-95 will finally ease the traffic tie-ups

After decades of discussion, there may finally be movement on a plan to link the heavily congested stretch between Interstate 95 and the Sawgrass Expressway, giving drivers a smoother commute.

The long-awaited plan drew renewed attention this week when Gov. Ron DeSantis identified it as one of the 20 transportation projects across the state that should be fast-tracked with his budget. Under DeSantis’ proposal, $178 million would be allocated for the roadway improvements along Southwest 10th Street.

Construction on the project was previously set to begin by the end of 2024, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s website. An agency spokeswoman did not have an update yet this week on how the governor’s announcement could speed up the timeline.

It’s the latest development in a decadeslong issue. The Sawgrass Expressway, which opened in 1986, originally was going to be built with an I-95 connector. But because Southwest 10th Street goes through the heart of Deerfield Beach, local opposition sent the plan off track — three times.

People have seemed to warm more to the idea over the years, though. During a public meeting in 2018, more than three quarters of 226 people who spoke favored building express lanes along Southwest 10th.

Beyond Deerfield Beach, some residents who live in neighboring cities and who frequently use the roadway feel it’s time for the improvements to come. “It was something I was hoping we could have when I was on the [Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization] back in 2002,” Coral Springs Mayor Scott Brook said.

“I travel that route quite a bit whether I’m going to court in Delray Beach or to the beach in Deerfield and there’s generally always a [traffic] buildup.”

The project would involve adding high-speed lanes, which would let drivers travel faster between I-95, the Sawgrass and Florida’s Turnpike. Southwest 10th Street would remain a local road, with lanes running along the edge of the express lanes.

“It’s 100% needed for the area,” Coral Springs Commissioner Joshua Simmons said. “This project affects so much of Broward. Even from just a commute standpoint and a commerce standpoint.

“It relieves that area of a lot of congestion because you don’t have people stopping at a stop light. You don’t have trucks taking up space. You’re going to have better mobility, and I think anybody that drives through there in the morning or in the afternoon after work — it’s a test of your patience.”

Deerfield Beach Mayor Bill Ganz said many residents have been terrified about the potential impact the high-speed lanes could have on property values. The project would have an impact on residents in nearby communities who “will have it running through the middle of the western portion of our city.”

The Florida Department of Transportation began discussing this iteration of the project in 2015 and is currently in the design phase. Construction on the massive overhaul would take at least six years, according to initial estimates.