Florida DOT schedules public meetings in ML for Turnpike projects

Community Monday, July 17, 2017

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise have scheduled a public information meeting and two public hearings on the proposed improvement plans along Florida’s Turnpike between the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) and I-75 in Miami-Dade County, on Thursday, July 20, at Shula’s Hotel on Main Street in Miami Lakes.

The Public Information meeting is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by an Access Management public hearing at 6:30 p.m., and concludes with a Project Development and Environment Study public hearing at 7 p.m.

The Public Information meeting will be held as an open house, where the public can review maps, drawings and other pertinent information developed by FDOT, including materials related to the public hearing.

The Access Management public hearing will begin with a formal presentation followed by a public comment period, and the subsequent Project Development and Environment Study public hearing will begin with  a formal presentation followed by public comments.

In the event that severe weather or other unforeseen conditions cause the hearings to be postponed, they will be rescheduled for August 31 at the same times and location.

Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise is proposing to widen Florida’s Turnpike to 10 lanes from SR 836 to I-75, a distance of about 13.5 miles. Express lanes will be added within the study limits.

Proposed access modifications to the Florida’s Turnpike and N.W. 41 Street interchange (including access changes on N.W. 117 Avenue from N.W. 34 Street to N.W. 50 Street) will be recommended during the Access Management public hearing.

The Environment Study public hearing will describe the new interchange at Florida’s Turnpike and N.W. 170 Street which includes new ramps, bridge reconstruction, drainage improvements and other improvements necessary to construct the proposed interchange.

The N.W. 170 Street interchange is anticipated to be constructed as part of the widening project from N.W. 106 Avenue to I-75.

The Public Information meeting/hearings are being conducted to give interested persons as opportunity to express their views concerning the location, conceptual design, social, economic, and environmental effects of the proposed improvements.

The projects have been evaluated in accordance with Federal Executive Orders 11990 (Protection of Wetlands) and 11988 (Floodplain Management).

Potential right-of-way impacts associated with the proposed N.W. 170 Street interchange will be displayed at the Study public hearing.

The draft project documents will be available from now to July 31 at the following locations during normal business hours:

Florida’s Turnpike Operations Center, Public Information Office, Pompano Beach Service Plaza, Turnpike Mile Post 65, Pompano Beach, Florida, (954) 975-4855. Contact: Fiorella Teodista (954) 934-1130.

West Dade Regional Library, 9445 Coral Way, Miami, Florida, (305) 553-1134.
Hialeah Gardens Branch Library, 11300 N.W. 87 Court, #112, Hialeah Gardens, Florida, (305) 820-8520.