Riding the edge of DANGER
Paving work has motorists bumping along on uneven lanes — and it will be rough going through 2020
Paving projects along South Florida’s highways are forcing motorists to tilt and bounce while driving at speeds of 60 mph or more.
Because highways are repaved one lane at a time, the upgraded lanes are uneven, overlap with other lanes and often appear suddenly. It’s a formula for danger that will affect drivers along Interstate 95, Interstate 75, the Palmetto Expressway and Florida’s Turnpike through 2020.
The problem for drivers is the high edge between the fresh asphalt and the existing pavement in the adjacent lane, according to highway engineer Richard Balgowan, of the Robson Forensic engineering consulting firm.
“It is not unusual for the driver to be startled [by] this unexpected condition,” he wrote on the firm’s website. “Aggressive steering back toward the travel lane often results in drivers overcompensating, which can cause a loss of control and potentially a crash.”
“Tires get caught ... you have to fight the steering wheel at times.” Jeff Hamilton, motorist
Rules vary by state, but in Florida the highway design standards allow a 1.5-inch difference in height between lanes during resurfacing. Any height differential between 1.5 and 3 inches requires a slope along the edge of the new asphalt so drivers can change lanes smoothly, said Andi Pacini, with the 95 Express Lanes Project.
She said which lanes are paved depends on what other construction work is going on at the time in that area. When paving, the sloping edge overlaps into the existing lane to allow the painting of stripes on the new asphalt.
That may work for engineers but Jeff Hamilton, of Fort Lauderdale, says it’s a struggle for drivers cruising at 65 or 70 mph.
“The new pavement sections, where it ends partially in a lane, are actually dangerous,” he said. “The striping should be right at the edge. Instead, with the new height difference, tires get caught on the edge and you have to fight the steering wheel at times.”
The Florida Highway Patrol said driver error caused most of last year’s crashes involving road conditions.
“[Uneven lanes] can contribute to a crash,” FHP Sgt. Mark Wysocky said. “If you see there’s uneven pavement, if you can’t move away from it, slow down, be aware of it and pay attention.”
Drivers are going to have to get used to the bumpiness.
Crews are resurfacing stretches of I-95 in Broward as part of the ongoing 95 Express Lanes Project, scheduled to end in 2020. Repaving is done lane by lane weeknights from just south of Broward Boulevard to just south of Southwest 10th Street in Deerfield Beach.
In Miami-Dade, resurfacing of the Palmetto Expressway is ongoing in the southbound lanes between Northwest 58th and 25th streets. The rest of the repaving between Flagler and Northwest 154th streets, and along I-75 to Northwest 170th Street, will be completed by early 2018, said Marta Rodriguez, project spokeswoman.
On I-75, full resurfacing of all lanes in both directions between Interstate 595 and Northwest 170th Street will begin in the summer of 2019, said Gerdy St. Louis, with the 75 Express Lanes Project.
On the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike, there have been frequent lane shifts with fresh asphalt to allow for construction of more flyover ramps to I-75. The interchange is scheduled to be finished early next year.
Extensive Turnpike construction in southwest Miami-Dade includes asphalt resurfacing between Southwest 117th and 184th streets as the roadway is widened up to 12 lanes. That work is scheduled to end this year.
David Schneider, of Boca Raton, said he finds the narrow and uneven southbound lanes on I-95 between Sample and Cypress Creek roads tough to drive at times.
“I expect it to get worse as they continue with this project,” he said.
Staff researchers Barbara Hijek and database editor John Maines contributed to this report.