Project highlights included the reconstruction of the Palmetto Expressway adding an additional through lane and auxiliary lanes in each direction, the widening and reconstruction of SR 874 (a MDX tolled facility) from 4 to 8 lanes, and improvements to Miller Drive and Bird Road. The project also included the reconstruction of three urban interchanges: the SR 826/SR 874 system-to-system interchange and the service interchanges at Miller Drive and at Bird Road. Along SR 826, a system of collector-distributor roads was constructed to relieve congestion and improve traffic operations between the three closely spaced interchanges. The innovations presented by the Design-Build Team saved FDOT/MDX $53 Million over the anticipated project cost and 2 years of construction time.

Project Features:

• Nine new bridge structures with a total deck area of 200,000 square feet
• First in the State to utilize Florida-I Beams
• Four major steel bridges – continuous steel plate girder superstructures with a maximum span length of 267 ft and skews up to 66°
• Four mainline prestressed concrete bridges consisting of Florida-I beams and Florida Bulb-T beams with span lengths varying from 110 ft to 160 ft. The bridges required phased construction in order to maintain traffic.
• Two span pedestrian bridge over the mainline consisting of Florida Bulb-T beams with a maximum span length of 161 ft
• Complex deck pours due to severe bridge skews, differential deflections and super-elevation transitions
• 260,000 SF of MSE wall with heights up to 30 ft, overhead sign and signal structures, and overhead ITS structures supporting dynamic messaging signs (DMS)

BCC was the Lead Designer for this project, and provided design services for Structures, Roadway, Drainage, Lighting, ITS, Utilities, Signing & Pavement Markings, Maintenance of Traffic and Environmental Permitting.