I-95 Express Lanes and Ramp Signals –

Phase 3A-1

The I-95 Express Lanes and Ramp Signals Phase 3A-1 is an ongoing $148.7 million design-build project in Broward County, Florida. Phase 3A-1 is the first of several phased construction projects. The 3A-1 portion is the stretch of I-95 from south of Broward Boulevard to north of Commercial Boulevard. I-95 is a highly traveled limited access highway that connects south Florida to the rest of the east coast of the United States. Due to this roadway’s high demand traffic, congestion typically impedes motorists especially during rush hour traffic.

DRMP assisted in the widening of I-95 over Powerline Road which involved the widening of I-95 for approximately 6.6-miles and included 13 bridge sites. The existing I-95 over Powerline Road Bridges are twin 4-span Steel Girder Bridges consisting of 97.3-foot approach spans and 153.3-foot main spans for an overall bridge length of 501-feet, with the two center spans being continuous. The substructures consist of reinforced concrete abutments and piers founded on prestressed concrete piles. The southbound bridge was widened 28.3-feet and the northbound bridge was widened 27.8-feet in order to incorporate two express lanes in each direction. The widening of the bridges was designed to match the existing structures, except for the pier foundations. With the coordination of the design-build team, drilled shafts were used in place of driven piles to support the new piers in order to minimize the disruptions to traffic along Powerline Road during construction.

The lane widening in each direction for the express lanes will result in a 2-lane express option for motorists to bypass general use lane congestion. These improvements to the I-95 limited access roadway will result in improved traffic flow for all commuters along the thoroughfare.