Preparing a bridge for traffic

The Northwest 170th Street bridge that spans Interstate 75 and connects Miami Lakes to Hialeah and Unincorporated Miami-Dade County to the west had new asphalt in June. As of July 8, County and town officials did not yet have a date for when the bridge will be opened to traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians. The long-closed bridge was a point of conflict between the governing bodies. Some Miami Lakers fear traffic congestion when residents in the Hialeah residential communities are able to travel east, to town schools or to access the Palmetto Expressway or Interstate 75. An agreement between the county, city and town to open the bridge, which is owned by the state, was reached in May. Photo by Alexandra Herrera.