Express lanes on 95 inch north
Deerfield-Delray stretch is next up
Expect six more years of travel troubles on Interstate 95 as work begins to add express lanes between Deerfield Beach and Delray Beach.
When completed in 2024, there will be toll lanes running on I-95 from Interstate 395 in Miami to Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach. The state’s goal is to keep traffic flowing at an average speed of 45 to 50 mph in express lanes, especially during rush hours.
The $1 billion-plus, 50-mile project began in Miami-Dade in 2008. Since then, there have been more than 185 million vehicle trips on the lanes, generating an estimated $200 million, according to the most recent state statistics available.
Here are some answers to
frequently asked questions:
How long will construction take?
Work is already underway between Southwest 10th Street and just south of Glades Road. Those lanes will be open by spring of 2022. Construction connecting Glades Road and Linton Boulevard begins in 2020 and will be open by 2024.
Will that end the express lane construction on I-95?
No. Express lanes are also being added between Stirling Road and Broward Boulevard, with two flyover bridges connecting to express lanes on I-595.There are no plans to extend express lanes north of Linton Boulevard, but traffic studies are ongoing to determine whether and when they may be needed.
How will it affect my daily drive on I-95?
It will likely be the same as driving on I-95 between Fort Lauderdale and Deerfield Beach now. Highway construction zones will feature the same shifting lanes, uneven pavement, overnight lane closures, entrance/exit ramp closures, detours and heavy traffic.
What are they doing?
The Florida Department of Transportation is making I-95 wider to convert the old High Occupancy Vehicle carpool lane into two express lanes in each direction. The number of general purpose-lanes will remain the same.
Related construction includes: adding cameras and technology for charging tolls on the express lanes, new signage, upgrading entrance and exit ramps, widening bridges, repaving the highway, upgrading traffic signals at interchanges, adding noise barrier walls and removing or relocating trees.
What about the noise?
Noise barrier walls between 8 and 22 feet high
will be erected along I-95 to shield several Boca Raton and Delray Beach neighborhoods from traffic and construction noise.
They will be among the first things built for communities that include Tivoli Park, Natura, Palm Beach Farms, Mizner Forest, Boca Raton Square, Raintree, Palmetto Park West, Fairfield Gardens and Country Club Village.
What is being done to help traffic flow from ramps?
Some upgraded I-95 entrance ramps will have red and green lights to regulate traffic flow. Ramp signaling is already in use in Miami-Dade, mostly during rush hours.
What about the bridges over I-95?
I-95 bridges over Palmetto Park Road and Camino Real will be widened. The I-95 bridge over the Hillsboro Canal and the Clint Moore Road bridge will be rebuilt and widened.
How much will tolls be?
As in Miami-Dade, tolls will range from 50 cents to an estimated $10.50 depending on the time, the amount of traffic and distance traveled in the express lanes.
What problems have there been with express lanes?
Confusion and crashes were more common when express lanes first opened, but statistics show those numbers have dropped as drivers got used to the traffic patterns. Lane diving through plastic poles remains a problem; those caught doing so face fines starting at $165 in Broward and $179 in Miami-Dade.
Do the express lanes always go faster than the general lanes?
Express lane traffic traveled an average 9 mph faster than vehicles in general purpose lanes, according to state statistics for fiscal year 2016-2017. However, there were times when crashes or construction made the general lanes quicker.