Miami Lakers who get on Florida’s Turnpike at Okeechobee Road now have another option.
The Florida Department of Transportation opened on April 21 a connection to the turnpike in Hialeah in far west Miami-Dade County.
Called the Northwest 170th Street Interchange, it features ribbons of new road beneath the turnpike that lead to ramps and either south to Homestead or north to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
Currently, Northwest 170th Street ends and there is no access to it west of the turnpike.
The new construction includes a partial Diverging Diamond Interchange design, the state said.
Traffic lights pause vehicles and give time for others to cross into lanes that lead to ramps. The design requires drivers to obey signals and take turns and is said to prevent accidents.
During a weekday morning in April, there were few cars on the new roads.
The state says the interchange will improve traffic flow in Hialeah, give better access to drivers and trucks in the industrial area and help reduce congestion on Okeechobee Road/U.S. 27.
FDOT described these options for drivers:
--Access to and from Northwest 170th Street from the northbound and southbound turnpike;
--Access east of the turnpike;
--Access to southbound Northwest 107th Avenue from the northbound turnpike;
--Access to the northbound turnpike from Northwest 107th Avenue.