On Monday, February 3, the Town of Miami Lakes will celebrate the grand opening of the new N.W. 87 Avenue link between N.W. 154 and 162 streets. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. on the corner of N.W. 87 Avenue and 162 street.
Residents and others who are interested in participating in the celebration are asked to congregate at the Roberto Alonso Community Center at Royal Oaks Park, 16500 N.W. 87 Avenue, at 10 a.m.
“As we prepare to celebrate the opening of this road, we are reminded of our steadfast commitment to provide residents with quality infrastructure that accommodates growth, alleviates traffic and increases access around our town,” said Mayor Wayne Slaton.
Construction of the missing link on 87 Avenue that had separated the west side of Miami Lakes for years got underway in late 2012. Miami-Dade County’s construction project in conjunction with the Town of Miami Lakes and the Lowell Dunn family, involved developing a four-lane divided median road with sidewalks, bicycle lanes and landscaping throughout the eight-block long corridor. The project was designed to match the existing design of N.W. 87 Avenue south of Miami Lakes Drive.
In 2011, Miami Lakes and the Lowell Dunn family reached an agreement to open up the roadway, and the county, which will own the road, constructed the project at no cost to the town.
In exchange, Miami Lakes granted the Dunn family a 20-year traffic concurrency for Dunnwoody Lake, a 509 single-family and townhouse development project, and a shopping center, west of 87 Avenue and north of Miami Lakes Drive.
Now finally ready to open, the expansion of N.W. 87 Avenue will give residents, Fire-Rescue and police services an easier route to secluded Miami Lakes neighborhoods, Royal Oaks Park and the Roberto Alonso Community Center.
The Miami Lakes’ link is part of the county’s expansion roadway plan to add four additional lanes along N.W. 87 Avenue further north to Miami Gardens Drive.
As part of the roadway improvement project, Miami Lakes recently completed construction of an additional two lanes on Miami Lakes Drive from N.W. 84 Avenue to west of N.W. 87 Avenue. As part of the development agreement with the Dunn family, the improvements to Miami Lakes Drive would be required before pulling a permit for the housing and commercial project.
Miami Lakes had an option of completing the roadway work itself and the Dunn family will reimburse the town, including the principle, interest and closing costs, for the project. The town financed the project with a $1.8 million bank loan.