Golden Glades drivers, there’s good news and bad news: an expansion project has launched
A major overhaul to a key South Florida interchange is getting underway years ahead of schedule, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Monday.
Construction is set to begin on a sweeping project to expand and repave the Golden Glades Interchange — which connects I-95, the Florida Turnpike and the Palmetto Expressway in north Miami-Dade County — on Monday, DeSantis said, thanks to a multi-billiondollar infrastructure initiative approved by state lawmakers last year.
The initiative — dubbed Moving Florida Forward — sets aside $4 billion in state funds for projects to improve major interstates and roadways throughout Florida.
DeSantis said that the funding has moved up the timeline of some of the state’s biggest infrastructure projects by seven to 10 years.
“Today’s really a milestone day here,” DeSantis said during an appearance at the Greater Miami Expressway Agency. “We’re able to say that because of Moving Florida Forward, the Golden Glades Interchange Improvement Project is commencing construction today. Now, this was not even supposed to start until next decade, but with Moving Florida Forward, we’ve been able to accelerate.”
The Golden Glades
Interchange is a major connection point between Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and is also prone to serious traffic congestion.
The improvement project aims to make a series of changes, including adding and widening lanes from the Turnpike onto southbound I-95 and creating a more direct route from the Palmetto Expressway to I-95.
The project is expected to cost about $908 million, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
“This is obviously a very sensitive part of this region and so to be able to get this traffic flowing better is going to make a big difference,” DeSantis said.
During his visit to Miami, DeSantis also touted state lawmakers’ plan to extend a multi-million-dollar toll relief program that gives Florida drivers with Sunpasses a 50% discount on toll roads so long as they make 35 toll-road trips each month.
THE PROJECT WILL ADD AND WIDEN LANES FROM THE TURNPIKE ONTO SOUTHBOUND I-95 AND CREATE A MORE DIRECT ROUTE FROM THE PALMETTO EXPRESSWAY TO I-95. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO COST ABOUT $908 MILLION.