I-95 Express Lane Construction Begins In Broward
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Broward commuters will have to pack some patience for the next couple of years on I-95. Monday morning the Florida Department of Transportation kicked off a three-year construction project to extend the I-95 express toll lanes into the county.
The $106 million project will extend the existing toll express lanes from the Golden Glades Interchange to near Davie Boulevard. During the construction, one express lane will be added in each direction along the 13 mile stretch; with entrances and exits at Broward Boulevard, Griffin Road and Ives Dairy Road. The Ives Dairy Road interchange will be modified and select bridges will be widened. Also, new noise walls will be erected at certain locations between Hollywood Boulevard and Taft Street.
"If it's a faster ride great," said Lloyd and Betty Hall. "If it gets me five to ten minutes extra sleep maybe."
Once completed, tolls on the new express lanes will vary depending on the level of congestion, in order to keep traffic in the express lanes moving at a minimum of 45 MPH
But not everyone thinks its a good proposal.
"You're not getting your money's worth out of it," said commuter Samantha Stone-Lorenzo. "Like I said its just more money for the state."
Registered vanpools, carpools and hybrid vehicles, as well as buses and motorcycles will all be able to use the lanes for free.
The Florida Department of Transportation said the project will be completed in three years and workers will do what they can to minimize construction delays on the highway.
"During peak hours, the same number of lanes that are out there today will be open," said Tish Burgher with 95 Express. "There will be lane closures during non-peak hours."
But some drivers worry about a repeat of the headache created by the new toll lanes when they were installed in Dade county.
"It's chaotic, it's gonna create accidents like it did when they started the dividers the first second day was nightmares," remembered, Fernando Lorenzo, a driver.
The FDOT said we wont see any drivers weaving in and out of the traffic sticks used to divide the toll lanes from local traffic this time.
"They're (the sticks) going to actually be closer together so that cars can't go between those polls," said FDOT's Barbara Kelleher.
At the beginning of November, CBS4 reported that FDOT officials were conducting studies to see if toll express lanes would work on I-75 and the Palmetto Expressway as well.
For more details on the 95 Express Project go to www.95express.com.
