The inner lanes of Miami Gardens Drive (NW 183rd Street), between 12th and 14th Avenues, were closed to traffic this Friday starting at 5 a.m. and will remain closed for about twelve months, according to an announcement from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in a statement published on their social media.
The works are part of the Golden Glades Interchange (GGI) project, the largest ongoing road construction in northwestern Miami-Dade, aimed at widening the Florida's Turnpike bridge heading north over that thoroughfare.
FDOT specified that the inner lanes will be "continuously closed for approximately one year," reducing the roadway from three to two lanes in each direction.
The night before the work began, between 10 p.m. on Thursday and 5 a.m. on Friday, all lanes of Miami Gardens Drive at the Turnpike were completely closed to implement the new traffic pattern.
Access to adjacent residences and businesses remains open for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists throughout the entire construction period.
Miami Gardens Drive is a major artery in the northern part of the county: it connects to the east with I-95 and the Aventura area, and the Florida Turnpike crosses through it without any entry or exit ramps at that point, which means local traffic relies directly on this route.
The FDOT advises drivers to "allow extra time when traveling through the area" and suggests three alternative routes: Ives Dairy Road and Hallandale Beach Boulevard heading north, and NW 167th Street heading south.
The GGI project, initiated in March 2024, includes the construction of 34 new bridges and drainage improvements over more than ten miles of roads and ramps at the interchange where I-95, Florida's Turnpike, Palmetto Expressway, SR 9, and US 441 converge.
The total budget for the project amounts to 1.04 billion dollars and its full completion is scheduled for the fall of 2031.
In addition to the closure on Miami Gardens Drive, there are other disruptions this week in South Florida.
In Miami-Dade, up to two lanes of I-95 will be closed in both directions between NW 8th and 29th Streets during nighttime hours, until Friday, August 21.
This Saturday, the Metromover service will be suspended until 2 p.m. due to maintenance work; there will be free transportation between stations during that time.
In Broward County, there are additional closures on Atlantic Boulevard in Coconut Creek, on Broward Boulevard near Fort Lauderdale, on University Drive between Pembroke Pines and Miramar, and on the Old Griffin Road bridge in the Dania Beach and Davie area.
The closure on Miami Gardens Drive adds to those generated by the megaproject Connecting Miami (I-395/SR 836/I-95), with a budget exceeding 800 million dollars and completion not expected before 2029, making the upcoming years a sustained pressure period on mobility throughout the county.
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