News

By Steve Plunkett

    It’s hard to see the progress as you cruise along Interstate 95, but by mid-October, work on the new Spanish River Boulevard interchange will pass the 80 percent completion point.  
    All 13 bridges of the complex interchange are in various stages of construction, and crews will pour bridge decks on the new southbound exit ramp into Florida Atlantic University, said Andrea Pacini, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Transportation project.
    But the biggest change of the month will come Oct. 14, when the department and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority close the railroad crossing on Yamato Road just west of the interstate for five days.
    “This is not being performed under our contract and is technically not project-related,” Pacini said. “However, it is a huge impact.”
    The crossing must be widened to accommodate a wider Yamato Road, Pacini said.
    During the closure, from 5 a.m. Oct. 14 to 5 a.m. Oct. 19, workers will remove existing tracks, install new tracks, replace the crossing surface and install new railroad traffic-control devices.
    Here are the detours:
    • Eastbound traffic on Yamato Road: Go south onto Military Trail, then left on Spanish River Boulevard, then left on North Dixie Highway back to Yamato.
    • Westbound traffic on Yamato Road: Go south on North Dixie, right onto Spanish River, then right on Military Trail back to Yamato.
    • Westbound Yamato to I-95 southbound: Go south on North Dixie, turn right onto Glades Road, then west and get on I-95 SB ramp.
    • Westbound Yamato to I-95 northbound: no change
    • Eastbound Yamato to I-95 northbound or southbound: Go north on Congress Avenue, turn right onto Peninsula Corp. Drive to I-95 NB/SB ramps.
    • Northbound I-95 to eastbound Yamato: no change
    • Northbound I-95 to westbound Yamato: Either get off at Yamato eastbound, then follow the North Dixie westbound detour, or get off on Congress Avenue exit and go south on Congress back to Yamato.
    • Southbound I-95 to westbound Yamato: get off at Congress Avenue exit.
    Construction on the $69 million Spanish River interchange began in January 2014 and is expected to be completed in late summer 2017. The project also calls for widening Spanish River Boulevard west of FAU Boulevard, signalized intersection improvements and adding auxiliary lanes.