Florida Construction News staff writer
A long-awaited transportation project designed to create a direct connection between the Sawgrass Expressway and Interstate 95 is set to enter its first stages of construction later this summer, marking a major milestone in Deerfield Beach and across South Florida.
The Florida Department of Transportation will host a public information meeting today from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Johnny L. Tigner Community Center, 445 SW Second St., where residents can learn more about the project, ask questions and review construction plans.
FDOT has selected two contractor teams to build the project. Prince OHLA JV, a joint venture of Prince Contracting and OHLA USA, will construct one segment of the corridor, while Archer Western will handle another. Portions of the work will be completed jointly under a design-build delivery method.
The SW 10th Street Connector Project is a $1.3 billion initiative aimed at improving traffic flow, enhancing safety and strengthening regional transportation connections. It has been in development for at least eight years and is intended to address a longstanding bottleneck where traffic from the Sawgrass Expressway is currently funneled onto local Deerfield Beach roads roughly two miles before reaching Interstate 95.
Under the plan, SW 10th Street will be redesigned to separate local and regional traffic into two distinct roadway systems. Dedicated connector lanes will carry regional traffic between the Sawgrass Expressway and I-95, while a reconstructed local roadway will serve nearby neighborhoods and businesses and include a 12-foot-wide shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists.
In addition to work along SW 10th Street, the project includes major improvements to Interstate 95 between Sample Road and Hillsboro Boulevard. Planned upgrades include reconstruction of the interchanges at SW 10th Street and Hillsboro Boulevard, expansion of the I-95 Express Lanes from one continuous lane to two, reconstruction of the NW 48th Street bridge, and corridor-wide roadway, drainage and safety enhancements.
Transportation officials said the improvements are designed to reduce conflicts between local and regional traffic, improve safety and increase overall mobility throughout the corridor.
The project is part of the state’s Moving Florida Forward initiative, which accelerates major transportation investments aimed at improving safety, reliability and long-term infrastructure performance.
