Brace for delays: Construction that stranded thousands on Key Biscayne is resuming
Is it done yet?
A state construction project that began in April shut down portions of the Rickenbacker Causeway — causing chaos and enraging thousands of motorist, some of whom were stranded for as long as five hours.
The closures caused traffic mayhem and public outrage, as a deluge of Key Biscayne residents and those who had spent the day at Crandon Park, were stuck in standstill traffic for hours exiting the Key. As a result, the Florida Department of Transportation was forced to quickly reopen the closed roadways, temporarily delaying construction on the flyover bridge connecting Key Biscayne to the mainland.
Now, months later, FDOT’s plan to restore concrete pavement will resume July 8.
Why the old plan didn’t work
FDOT began preliminary construction work April 14, shutting down both north and southbound ramps connecting the causeway to South Dixie Highway and I-95 north. The closure led to many drivers leaving their cars amid the gridlock, camping on the side of the road or walking miles to restaurants or grocery stores in search of water and bathrooms.
The traffic kerfuffle prompted an outcry from citizens, including a petition to delay the construction project until the summer gaining over 2500 signatures. John Bolton, FDOT’s Senior Project Engineer for the rehabilitation project, referred to the situation in April as a “catastrophe” in a Key Biscayne Council Meeting in May.
Though FDOT officials asserted the construction is part of a “rehabilitation project” that is “imperative to the structural integrity” of the bridges, the night of chaos forced the agency to rethink the closure and ultimately delay further work until June when schools are out for the summer.
What’s the solution?
The first phase will close the ramp from westbound Rickenbacker Causeway to southbound U.S. 1/South Dixie Highway. This ramp is expected to be closed from Monday, July 8 at 1 a.m., through Saturday, July 20th at 6 a.m. During this time the northbound ramp connecting to I-95 North will stay open.
The second phase will begin on Sunday, July 21 at 10 p.m. and extend through Saturday, August 3 at 6 a.m. This phase will close the northbound ramp connecting to I-95 North. The southbound ramp, connecting the causeway to U.S. 1/South Dixie Highway, will stay open.
“Over the last few weeks, FDOT has worked 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 maintenance of traffic 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 rehabilitation work in two phases closing one westbound flyover ramp at a time.”
Each phase of the rehabilitation is planned to last for 12 days.
Are more traffic delays expected?
Despite postponing the project, FDOT is still expecting “heavy traffic and delays along the Rickenbacker Causeway and surrounding areas during these closures,” according to the department.
The traffic will be particularly acute during the northbound ramp shutdown, as the northbound ramp is used by roughly twice as many cars as the southbound, Bolton said in statement to the Key Biscayne Council.
“It is a challenge because we are adding 1500 vehicles per hour more on top of an already congested interchange,” added Bolton, “so there are definite challenges.”
To help mitigate 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 ramp closure are outlined in the two maps below.
Southbound Closure:
Northbound Closure:
