Photo courtesy of FDOT
The Golden Glades Interchange (GGI) project in northwest Miami-Dade County spans more than 10 mi. of roadway and ramps and includes 32 new bridges.
After 10 years in development, a $908 million Florida highway project to revitalize a major transportation interchange is under way. The Golden Glades Interchange (GGI) project in northwest Miami-Dade County spans more than 10 mi. of roadway and ramps and includes 32 new bridges.
“As a larger project, it will enhance regional mobility by revitalizing this major transportation interchange, which includes connections to five essential roadway systems in the south Florida area: State Road (SR) 9A/I-95; SR 826/Palmetto Expressway; SR 91/Florida’s Turnpike; and SR 9 and SR 7/US 441/NW 7 Avenue,” said Sergies Duarte, senior community outreach specialist. “Congestion is already a major issue for the interchange, with more than 400,000 vehicles passing through daily, and traffic is projected to increase by 50 percent by 2040. Without the project’s improvements, congestion is only expected to worsen.”
Photo courtesy of FDOT
The contract went to a joint venture made up of two major southern Florida contractors, Halley Engineering and MasTech Civil, now working as GGI Constructors. Construction started in March and is scheduled for completion in fall 2031. The project was delayed due to issues with utilities in the area.
“We have a corridor-wide gas transmission line for the entirety of a SR 826 leading up to the Golden Glades interchange,” said FDOT resident engineer of special projects Manny Espinal. “It kind of put us in a corner where we couldn’t come to an agreement with the utility company, Florida Gas Transmission. We couldn’t widen 826 without having to relocate that entire utility. So, we had to go back to the drawing board and scale down the project. We call it Golden Glades Light.”
Although that utility line is not part of the project, Espinal noted that there are numerous utilities that must be relocated to allow for the construction of the nearly three dozen bridges.
“Sometimes we might find some unforeseen utilities or there might be an abandoned utility,” Espinal said. “Sometimes the utility doesn’t have the resources to move it in a timely manner.”
Another major challenge is working in a highly trafficked area. Construction crews work primarily at night when possible. The bulk of the work currently is the maintenance of traffic (MOT) to configure work zones and building foundations for the bridges in the project.
The GGI is the largest conventional design bid build project in Florida’s history.
“With design build, you design a specific component for the contractor, and they get to work while the designers design the rest of the job,” Espinal said. “Design bid build is where we design first and once we have a design set of plans, then we have the contactor bid it and then build it. There’s no more designing; the design phase is finished.”
FDOT also was mindful in designing the project of the state’s commitment to ensure the infrastructure serves residents, businesses and visitors and will meet their needs now and in the future, Duarte said.
“Communities are at the center of FDOT’s operations,” Duarte said. “Key areas include safety, resiliency, supply chain, technology and workforce development.”
Photo courtesy of FDOT
This new infrastructure includes seven main stormwater drainage systems being installed in and around the Golden Glades Interchange. The project scope involves installing more than 50,000 ft. of new drainage pipe and about 767 drainage structures. The project also will install 19 ponds (1 wet-retention and 18 dry-retention).
The project is still in the early stages and crews have not encountered any unforeseen delays, but Duartes said the project team is prepared to use its many years of “combined engineering experience to resolve any challenges.”
FDOT also is planning to partner with the local municipality to hold a job fair to provide information about upcoming work opportunities.
Some quick facts from FDOT about the Golden Gladies Interchange:
- 32 new bridges are being built to ease access between major corridors.
- More than 50,000 ft. of new drainage pipe is being installed.
- Installing more than 200,000 ft. of fiber optic cable.
- Installing more than 750 stormwater drainage structures.
The GGI Project is part of the Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative. As part of the initiative, FDOT identified previously approved projects that only lacked funding to begin construction. Due to Florida’s sound fiscal health, $4 billion from the General Revenue Surplus has been dedicated to the Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative to advance construction on projects around the state, such as the GGI Project, that will address congestion; improve safety; ensure the resiliency of the transportation network; and enhance Florida’s supply chain and economic growth. CEG
Lori Tobias
Lori Tobias is a journalist of more years than she cares to count, most recently as a staff writer for The Oregonian and previously as a columnist and features writer for the Rocky Mountain News. She is the author of the memoir, Storm Beat – A Journalist Reports from the Oregon Coast, and the novel Wander, winner of the Nancy Pearl Literary Award in 2017. She has freelanced for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Denver Post, Alaska Airlines in-flight, Natural Home, Spotlight Germany, Vegetarian Times and the Miami Herald. She is an avid reader, enjoys kayaking, traveling and exploring the Oregon Coast where she lives with her husband Chan and rescue pups, Luna and Monkey.
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