US-27 / SR 25 / Okeechobee Road and SR 826 / Palmetto Expressway Project Development and Environment Study

Purpose & Need

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is conducting a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for SR 25/Okeechobee Road at the interchange with the SR 826/Palmetto Expressway. The purpose of this project is to improve the existing and future traffic operations and safety conditions along Okeechobee Road at the interchange with Palmetto Expressway and the signalized intersections between NW 79th Avenue and W 18th Avenue. The addition of direct ramp connections to/from Okeechobee Road and the Palmetto Expressway are intended to improve mobility and connectivity between these two corridors.

The project area currently exhibits operational and safety deficiencies which can be attributed to insufficient capacity due to the limited number of canal crossings, as well as to increased congestion from the rise in traffic volumes throughout the years. The project alternatives will be studied with substantial input from the local community in an effort to address the stakeholders’ “vision” for the roadways and to work within the framework of the corridor context.

Project Description

This roadway operational and capacity improvement project entails adding direct ramp connections between Okeechobee Road and the Palmetto Expressway. The study limits include Okeechobee Road from NW 79th Avenue to W 16th Avenue, as well as South River Drive from NW 79th Avenue to the Palmetto Expressway northbound off-ramp. The project is located in the Town of Medley and the cities of Hialeah and Hialeah Gardens in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Okeechobee Road is a six-lane divided facility classified as an Urban Principal Arterial Other and is designated as part of the Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) highway network.

This facility is a major route for freight movement from the Port of Miami and Miami International Airport (MIA) to the Town of Medley warehouse area. The project is approximately 1.3 miles in length. Existing right-of-way along Okeechobee Road ranges from approximately 210 to 280 feet west and 110 to 150 feet east of the Palmetto Expressway.

The project improvements are anticipated to generally take place within the interchange footprint and the existing limited access right-of-way; however, additional right-of-way may be needed to accommodate the improvements proposed east of the Palmetto Expressway, including the northbound off-ramps and the westbound right-turn lane extension on Okeechobee Road at W 18th Avenue. Right-of-way requirements and project costs will be determined during this PD&E Study.

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Read More: http://www.fdotmiamidade.com/okeechobeepalmettostudy.html