LTC 269-2010 Port of Miami Tunnel Projectm MIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC #' 269-2010 ' LETTER TO COMMISSION
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TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission
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FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager ~ o ~~F
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DATE: October 7, 2010 r,~~ ~ ~r~~
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SUBJECT: Port of Miami Tunnel Project Update & - c~a -~, °`~.
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to provide you with correspondence received from tfae
Transportation and Parking Committee regarding the above subject.
JMG/ /SF
C: Hilda Fernandez, Assistant City Manager
Jorge Gomez, Assistant City Manager
Saul Frances, Parking Director
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Mark Weithorn, Chairman TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Sower and Members of the City Commission
Alan 6. Fishman, Vice-Chalrman
FROM: Mark Weithorn, Transportation & Parking Committee Chair
Members:
Jo Asmundsson DATE: October 6, 2010
Nioni Cohen
Scott Diffenderfer
AI Feola SUBJECT: PORT OF MIAMI TUNNEL PROJECT (POMTP) & I-395 UPDATE
Del Fruit
Maria Mayer Dear Mayor and Honorable City Commission:
JP Morgan
Josephine Pampanas The Transportation and Parking Committee met on October 4, 2010 and
Marvin Silverman were provided with the below updates on the Port of Miami Tunnel Project as
Scott7lmm well as I-395:
Seth Wasserman
PUMTP
. Starting Oct 6th -eastbound sidewalk and shoulder on McArthur Causeway,
starting on the west by Bicentennial Park to other end by Miami Children's
Museum will be closed; a detour specifically provided, in process of sending
-. ~ out Maintenance of Traffic. If someone uses sidewalk, there will be a
detour/ alternate route provided.
^ Shoulder will also be closed for restriping and widening. Along with
shoulder, will also close right travel lane temporarily to set-up for
installation of barrier wall for shoulder closure -will be a nighttime closure
on Oct 6`h starting at 10p until 5a.
^ This past weekend, had nighttime closure - no calls or complaints received;
doing all possible to avoid peak hours and any Maintenance of Traffic
regarding traffic closures, will be sent out ahead of time.
^ Almost done with Watson Island/Frontage Road. Need to transition into
that road, but right now will be getting into causeway to restripe and get
median ready for when tunnel boring machine and all equipment arrives
next year.
-395
Working on two (2) separate projects:
^ I-395- expect to have design team onboard by March, start designing; goal
is to come up with enough design plans to be able to get drainage
requirements, documents, permits needed, etc.
^ Project will entail total construction from end of tunnel project to I-95;
three (3) lanes going eastbound and two (2) lanes westbound.
^ Project calls for one (1) additional lane in both directions.
^ interim project: Trying to manage number of lanes which tunnel brings in
and how to transition to existing condition.
^ Concept: Once tunnel project is done, over bridge will have four (4) lanes in
both directions (east/west) and in order to transition each lane, it calls for
600 feet of transitioning -eliminating lane.
^ Start widening from bridge up west adding extra lane - for a total of four (4)
lanes.
^ One (1) lane will be exit ramp at Biscayne Blvd., and when going east, will
pick-up 3`d lane.
^ Coming up with number of lanes to ensure there is no back-up or delay and
conducting more traffic analysis to ensure it is operational and working.
^ Have funded design -construction cost of project is estimated slightly
under $8 million dolEars. Have asked for funding -allocation funds which
state gives to local government and will then go in front of MPO to ask for
funds to be allocated to this project.
^ December of 2010 will go in front of MPO to ask for $7.8 million of money
to be programmed for July 2012 -since it takes 1-1J2 years to design
project.
^ This type of project will take 12-18 months to construct and will be in place
almost at same time as Tunnel Project.
^ Going eastbound over Biscayne Blvd., will have three {3) lanes and will
transition into 2 lanes (up to bridge}.
^ I-395 is a federally owned highway-a lot of design exceptions needed in
order to do project.
^ This is considered a throw away project - all of it will eventually come back
down.
^ Once you go west of Biscayne Blvd., will go back to two (2} lanes, but will
not create bottlenecks; study done and two {2} lanes is sufficient number
for volume of traffic.
^ Tunnel project does not generate any additional traffic.
^ Elevation will be 30 feet higher than existing with two (2) signature bridges
that are supposed to add to beauty of Downtown skyline; flow of traffic will
stay as is, will be building bridges outside of existing alignment.
^ Hope to have new plans by February/March of 2011.
Sincerely,
Transportation and Parking Committee