by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Traffic congestion, road workers, detours and slowdowns might cause migraines for drivers who use the I-10/I-95 interchange, but relief to alleviate those headaches – and traffic – should be coming sooner rather than later.
Work on the much-traveled interchange is 68 percent complete and ahead of schedule, said Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Goldman.
The massive project that began in February 2005 is the area’s most complex roadway project undertaken in the past 15 years, said Goldman, featuring 17 constructed bridges and 25 constructed lane miles.
The total cost for the interchange project will be $150.8 million, which also makes it the most expensive project in that same timeframe.
But, upon completion and for commuters, it will be money well spent, said Goldman.
“It really is going to improve traffic movement,” said Goldman. “We’re very happy with the progress it has made and the work that has been done so far.”
Goldman credits the interchange project being ahead of schedule to its contractor, Archer Western Contractors, which has been efficient with its resources and time management.
With the complexity of the project, the need for nightly lane closures from 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. at different points is necessary to stay on, and ahead of, schedule. To avoid morning rush hour traffic, timeliness in getting the lanes opened and operational for morning commuters is critical.
“They (Archer Western) really have been great about getting things done effectively,” said Goldman. “When the closures happen at 10 p.m., it’s down at 10 p.m. and when they are supposed to reopen at 6 a.m., they’re reopened at 6 a.m. If not, it could be a congestion nightmare.”
Dubbed “The Big I,” DOT has a Web site (www.thebigI.info) devoted to the project, complete with news, facts, status and even a Web cam.
The Web site lists the interchange as having 11 phases, but it’s not as linear as it might seem. Instead, many of the phases are worked on piece by piece at the same time, said Goldman.
“It’s just one of the quirks of construction, but it’s all being done,” said Goldman. “The important thing is the overall percent completion rate (68 percent).”
The latest completion was a new on-ramp to I-95 northbound from Forest Street in Riverside; another anticipated improvement, a flyover from I-95 north to I-10 west, should be completed in August or September, according to Goldman.
The I-95 / I-10 interchange isn’t the only thing DOT is working on or even ahead of schedule with. Other projects include:
• The Trout River Bridge replacement and road widening from Lem Turner Boulevard to Heckscher Drive is 99 percent complete. The bridge replacement project and road widening from four lanes to six will cost $59.1 million, with only incidental items remaining to be complete.
• Road widening from Heckscher Drive to I-295 from four to six lanes is also 99 percent complete. The project will cost $25 million.
• A flyover from I-95 south to SR 9A is 26 percent complete, with project costs estimated at $45.1 million. The need for the flyover is due to increased traffic going to the Beaches and Blount Island area and increased business and residential developments.