Navigating traffic in Downtown Miami can be a nightmare for some drivers. Now, there is another issue to contend with – construction on the nearby interstate.
Susana Castillo, owner of B.O.S. Jewelers in Downtown Miami, said construction delays and lane closures on I-395 are impacting her business by keeping shoppers away.
“We’re having lower foot traffic and a hard time covering the rent,” Castillo said. “My drive is always never less than one hour, if I’m lucky, sometimes it’s an hour and 30 minutes.”
Castillo said once she gets off I-395, unrelated construction work on Flagler Street adds to the headache.
With fewer customers in her store, Castillo said adjusted how she does business.
“Right now, I’m focusing more online. I have a website so people can buy online and (I) make it easier with shipping,” she said.
Construction impacts Miami-Dade’s three busiest corridors
While the construction impacts businesses and people who live downtown, the lane closures, detours and congestion are all part of the growing pains, according to Oscar Gonzalez, the community outreach specialist for the I-395/SR-836/I-95 Design-Build Project.
“We implement traffic shifts, that means we’re making progress because we’re opening new areas for construction,” he said.
The project, which is a partnership between the Florida Department of Transportation and the Greater Miami Expressway Agency, has ongoing work where three of Miami-Dade’s busiest traffic corridors meet.
“There are impacts when you undertake any highway reconstruction project, especially one of this magnitude,” Gonzalez said.
Major work for a better future
A big part of the project is the construction of the new signature bridge on I-395. It will not only transform the skyline, but add capacity as well. Also a 1.4 mile stretch of the interstate, from the Midtown Interchange to the MacArthur Causeway is being rebuilt.
On State Road 836/Dolphin Expressway, crews are building a double decker stretch from NW 17 Avenue to the Midtown Interchange. The double-decked section will provide drivers with a direct connection to the MacArthur Causeway.
Gonzalez said the replacement of concrete on I-95 from NW 8 Street to NW 29 Street is almost complete.
According to the transportation department, the total cost of the project is $840 million and it should be finished by 2027.
Completion can’t come soon enough for Castillo who said she hopes shoppers will brave the tough traffic.
“People get used to it eventually, but when they want to come to a place, they come, but it’s hard to tell,” she said.
Drivers can stay up to date on the I-395 Design Project impacts by signing up for alerts from the transportation department.
