Southeast’s Top Projects - 10

95 Express

Project Cost: $121.5 million

95 Express is designed to provide motorists and transit riders a time-saving option to the usual commute on Interstate 95. It encourages carpooling and transit use, but also offers a choice to drivers willing to pay a variable toll, based on the time of day and levels of construction. The express lanes are designed to keep traffic moving at near 50 mph during rush hour.

The Florida Dept. of Transportation awarded the first, $121.5-million, design-build contract for the express lanes from State Road 112, called the Airport Expressway, to the Golden Glades Interchange, to the MCM-FCC-C3TS team made up of MCM of Miami, FCC of Spain and C3TS of Coral Gables.

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The project, which began in February 2008, converts existing I-95 high-occupancy vehicle lanes and restripping of other travel lanes to create a second express lane, which will occur without widening of the highway. The road will have two 11-ft express lanes and four 11-ft general-purpose lanes. The scope of work includes installing electronic tolling equipment, modifying on- and off-ramps to accommodate the new express lanes and upgrading stormwater drainage. A series of plastic tubes will separate the regular and variable-toll lanes. The last of the lanes are to be operational by fall.

Key Facts:

Location: Miami
Owner: Florida Dept. of Transportation
Design-Build Contractor: MCM, Miami, and FCC, Spain
Engineer: C3TS, Coral Gables, Fla.
Start Date: February 2008
Completion Date: Fall 2009