Dr. Detour
Get answers to your traffic questions.
With four big sporting events and countless parties scheduled for New Year’s weekend, driving on South Florida roadways may be a bigger challenge than usual.
Fans, partygoers, commuters and motorists trying to avoid traffic congestion are get because ting the same advice: Head out early and/or take alternate routes.
Friday: The Miami Heat host the New Jersey Nets at 8 p.m. at American Airlines Arena so fans could face downtown rush-hour traffic, construction site detours and holiday weekend crowds on the way to the game.
Expect heavy traffic on southbound Interstate 95, eastbound State Roads 836 and 112, and northbound I-95 from U.S. 1. Alternates include Biscayne Boulevard and Collins Avenue, and westbound I-195 and I-395 from Miami Beach.
Saturday: The Florida Panthers host the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. at the BB&T Center in Sunrise in a game that is an annual sellout of all the Canadian snowbirds who come to cheer on the visiting team.
That could mean heavy traffic on westbound I-595, northbound I-75 and southbound Sawgrass Expressway beforehand. Alternate routes include westbound State Road 84; Broward, Sunrise and Oakland
“We’re not telling people not to go out and party. Just be responsible. Don’t drink and drive. Be safe.” Lt. Alvaro Feola, Florida Highway Patrol
Park boulevards; northbound Flamingo and Weston roads; and southbound University Drive.
Saturday: The Capital
One Orange Bowl should bring an attendance and traffic surge as the hometown University of Miami Hurricanes host the Wisconsin Badgers at Hard Rock Stadium at 8 p.m.
But there is a travel advantage to having a home team in the game, according to Orange Bowl spokesman Larry Wahl.
“Miami fans should know how to get in and out of the stadium,” he said. “A lot of times, when both [teams] are coming from out of town, [fans] are unfamiliar with the proper routes.”
Expect heavier traffic on northbound I-95 and the Palmetto Expressway from Miami-Dade and on southbound I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike from Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Miami-Dade’s alternate routes include the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike, U.S. 441, Collins Avenue, Biscayne Boulevard, and any through avenues from Northwest 27th to 67th.
From Broward, southbound alternates include I-75, University Drive, U.S. 441 and Federal Highway.
Sunday afternoon: The Miami Dolphins wrap up their regular season against the Buffalo Bills at 1 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium. The same Orange Bowl travel options apply.
Sunday night: New
Year’s Eve parties will be popping up all around South Florida, but beware.
The Florida Highway Patrol and other police agencies will be looking for impaired drivers as part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign that runs through the holiday weekend.
“We’re not telling people not to go out and party,” said FHP Lt. Alvaro Feola. “Just be responsible. Don’t drink and drive. Be safe.”
If you have a little too much fun and can’t drive home, he suggests calling a taxi, Uber, Lyft or a friend. Tow to Go will provide a free ride and tow within 10 miles to anyone who calls 855-286-9246 until 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Automobile Association of America.
Extra police will be directing traffic around these sporting events. For game day traffic information, visit fl511.com