Construction for a roadway project to connect N.W. 67 Avenue (Ludlam Road) to the Gratigny Expressway and improve the traffic flow in Miami Lakes could commence late next year or in early 2019, according to Mayor Manny Cid.
Cid said he attended the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Fiscal Priorities Committee meeting last week and was able to convince the organization to move the connector plan ahead after putting it on hold for some time now.
“They tabled the issue but after they reviewed it, they changed their minds,” Cid told The Miami Laker.
Cid said Vice Mayor Tony Lama and Councilmember Nelson Rodriguez broached the idea during a Transportation Summit, where county and state officials convened to provide solutions to address the traffic.
Cid said once the project is complete, the new Gratigny connectors, along with an additional northbound lane on 67 Avenue at the Palmetto Expressway, would reduce traffic congestion by at least 50 percent.
“The project will enhance mobility for the residents of the town of Miami Lakes, City of Hialeah and the entire Northwest Miami-Dade corridor,” Cid said. “The new connections will improve the distribution of traffic flow in the area.”
For years, Miami Lakes officials have been pitching a slew of solutions to solve the traffic problem, and the Transportation Summit offered the best solutions.
The proposed Gratigny connector road was the most popular.