Signature Bridge, expressways roll ahead

Construction crews continue to make significant progress on the I-395/SR 836/I-95 Design-Build Project, says the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

The massive project is advancing via a partnership between FDOT and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority and its contractor, the Archer Western – de Moya Group Joint Venture.

The work includes a “Signature Bridge” over Northeast Second Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard, an upper deck of traffic built over SR 836 and the Miami River, and the addition of one lane to the northbound entrance to I-95.

“Progress continues on all three project corridors,” said Tish Burgher, a communications manager with FDOT in District Six, in an email to Miami Today.

Work on I-395 continues as crews work on the Signature Bridge and the segmental bridges that will connect to SR 836 and I-95. Crews are currently working on the Signature Bridge center pier and four of the six arches.

“The two remaining arches will be constructed at a later phase of construction,” Ms. Burgher said.

Since pouring the center pier footer last year, the contractor has poured the east and west leg of the structure and is currently working on the next section.

Ms. Burgher offers details.

The footer and the pedestal have been completed on the arch that is just north of I-395 and west of Northeast Second Avenue.

Crews are currently forming the first of two cast-in-place arch segments for the concrete pour in about two months. The three other arches are in different phases of footer construction. The first of two phases for the signature bridge are about 50% complete.

She said the casting of 330 individual pre-cast arch segments has started at the same casting yard that is forming up the bridge segments for the segmental bridges. About 1,465 bridge segments of the 1,947 needed have been cast.

“Two crews are working on installing bridge segments for the westbound and eastbound collector distributor roadways, with approximately 700 bridge segments erected to date,” she wrote.

Crews have mostly installed segments for the westbound collector distributor roadway from Northeast Second Avenue to the area over the Northwest First Place/Northwest 14th Street intersection in Overtown.

Segments have been substantially finished for the eastbound collector distributor roadway from the intersection of Northwest Third Avenue/Northwest 14th Street to the FEC/Brightline rail facilities.

Ms. Burgher said, “Westbound I-395 traffic is scheduled to be placed on the new westbound collector distributor roadway in fall 2022 to begin the demolition of the existing westbound bridges and construction of the new westbound I-395 mainline roadway.”

Meanwhile, construction continues on the new second level SR 836 roadway with crews completing all four piers and erecting 16 caps in the median west of Northwest 17th Avenue.

The contractor is assembling the bridge cap/beam lifter to erect the remaining bridge caps east of Northwest 17th Avenue and all beams for the second level.

“Complete assembly of the lifter is expected to be completed in eight weeks,” wrote Ms. Burgher.

Foundation and pier construction is ongoing from Northwest 17th to 12th avenues, including the areas of Grove Park and the parking area of the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building. Widening of eastbound SR 836 continues from Northwest 10th Avenue to I-95.

She said that widening of eastbound SR 836 will allow traffic to shift to the south side of the roadway so construction of foundations and piers can begin from Northwest 12th Avenue to I-95.

All pavement has been placed for widening the eastbound SR 836 ramp to northbound I-95 from one lane to two lanes. Crews are working on the traffic railing, lighting, and other bridge components for the second ramp lane, which is expected to open in summer.

Concrete pavement work on I-95 from Northwest 17th to 29th streets is completed and 98% is completed from Northwest Eighth to 17th streets.

“Ongoing work on I-95 includes installation of Intelligent Transportation Systems components, installation of new guardrail and completing the widening of the ramp lanes coming from SR 836 and I-395 over NW 17 Street that connect to northbound I-95,” Ms. Burgher said.

The entire project is to be completed in fall 2024 at a cost of $818 million.

Details: www.I-395miami.com.