Interstate 95
Miami-Dade County (Northbound)
Interstate 95 is one of the major interstates in Florida, which serves the state's heavily-populated Atlantic coast and linking South Florida with the Space Coast and Jacksonville. This page focuses on the 17.1 mile section in Miami-Dade County. While the state legislature named Interstate 95 the "William B. Singer Expressway," nobody calls it that, instead opting to call the freeway Interstate 95, I-95, or the even shorter nickname "the I."
History
Believe it or not, Interstate 95 was not South Florida's first limited access freeway, or even its second. That honor goes to Florida's Turnpike, which opened in 1957. In 1958, construction started on the Palmetto Bypass, which was completed in 1962 and is better known today as Florida 826/Palmetto Expressway. Nonetheless, Interstate 95 is the most important freeway in South Florida and served as the catalyst for growth and economic opportunity that made this region successful.
It wasn't until 1959 that Interstate 95 started construction. The first segment to be started was from NW 31st Street to NW 95th Street, and work also coincided with construction on Interstate 195, the Airport Expressway (Florida 112), and their respective interchange. That segment was completed and opened in December, 1961.
The next segment to start construction was from the already completed segment ending at NW 95th Street into Broward County and Florida 84 in Fort Lauderdale. Construction of this segment also encompassed the construction of the massive Golden Glades Interchange. In 1964, this segment along with the mega-interchange was completed. It was also during this time that the path through downtown Miami was finalized, including two new spur routes: Interstate 395 and Florida 970, the downtown distributor. Added to this mix would be the East-West (now Dolphin) Expressway, which would be a continuation of Interstate 395 west of Interstate 95.
After this, work began on the section from its planned southern terminus at U.S. 1 to Flagler Street. The already completed segment that ended at NW 31st Street was extended southward to NW 20th Street. This segment was completed and opened by 1968.
By this time, the route of Interstate 95 through Dade County was nearly complete except for a gap in downtown Miami between Flagler Street and NW 20th Street. This section started construction in 1968, and the planned Interstate 395, Florida 970, and Florida 836/Dolphin Expressway were built in concurrence with it. This segment finally opened in late 1969. The last construction project slated for Interstate 95 was a new interchange with Ives Dairy Road, which started in 1969.
From the Golden Glades Interchange to downtown Miami, Interstate 95 was built along NW 6th Avenue, one block east of U.S. 441. Many people would think that in this case, U.S. 441 would be decommissioned as a surface street and routed along Interstate 95. In any other state, it would have, but Florida has never used this practice and seems adverse to it.
All of Interstate 95 in Dade County was constructed with six lanes, except for an eight-lane section downtown, and a brief four-lane segment from SW 25th Road to U.S. 1. Most of it was built utilizing concrete, from U.S. 1 north to the Golden Glades Interchange. At the Golden Glades Interchange, the surface changes to asphalt.
Widening Interstate 95
In 1969 when the Dade County transportation plan was released, in addition to the maze of expressways that were planned to cross the county, there were proposed upgrades to Interstate 95. The plan proposed the widening of all of Interstate 95 to eight lanes, except for a brief segment from NW 135th Street to the Golden Glades Interchange, which was to remain unchanged.
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While several of the expressways from the original, controversial Miami freeway plan were killed, Florida DOT decided that Interstate 95 should be upgraded. With the population of Dade and Broward County booming, it would eventually have to be widened. However, these upgrades would not happen until much later.
The 1970s became the 1980s, and nothing was done to Interstate 95, which was still in its original condition. In 1976, the NW 54th Street exit ramps were closed due to their proximity to the NW 62nd Street exit to the north. In early 1983, street lights were placed along a section of Interstate 95 in North Miami-Dade County that was previously unlit, due to complaints by residents of North Miami Beach. Eventually, Interstate 95 was lighted continuously from U.S. 1 to northern Palm Beach County. The same cannot be said for most other Interstates through other major cities.
During this time, Miami gained a lot bad press for its criminal and drug activity, and Interstate 95 was no exception. Stories of snipers hiding on overpasses shooting cars below and teens throwing rocks at oncoming cars were a frequent occurrence. At the same time, many street lights along Interstate 95 started burning out, making stopped cars vulnerable to attacks from people who wandered onto the Interstate. With that, FDOT started to construct high chain link fences with barbed wire along Interstate 95, mostly along its path through Liberty City, one of the more crime-ridden areas of Miami. Pretty much all of Interstate 95 from the Golden Glades Interchange south to downtown Miami passes through some of the slummier areas that Miami has to offer. Perhaps all of this was part of the ulterior motive behind FDOT installing sound barriers along most of Interstate 95.
As the 1980s continued, it became clearer that Interstate 95 would have to be upgraded soon. Planning had begun in the mid-1970s for widening of Interstate 95 from Florida 112/Airport Expressway north through Broward County to Linton Boulevard in southern Palm Beach County, a distance of 47 miles. The only thing that prevented this from happening sooner was funding, which had postponed this major reconstruction project for nearly 11 years.
It was also clear that the original freeway from 1969 was inadequate to handle present traffic volumes and project counts. Thus, the Interstate 95 upgrade would be a large project broken up in many segments. The planned upgrades in Dade County were widening from six lanes to ten and twelve lanes from the Golden Glades Interchange to the Airport Expressway. From the Golden Glades Interchange to the Broward County line, it would be widened to eight lanes (ten lanes from Ives Dairy Road to the county line). In addition, one of the new lanes constructed in each direction would be a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, restricted to buses and carpools of three or more people. This was later changed to two people.
The ultimate cost for the entire project was $400 million, which was nearly one-third of the amount it cost to construct all of Interstate 595 in Broward County at the same time. The first section of Interstate 95 to be upgraded was from the Golden Glades Interchange north to the Broward County line. One high occupancy vehicle lane was constructed in each direction in the median, and one lane was constructed outside from Ives Dairy Road to the county line. Work started the first week of November 1986 and was completed in mid-December 1988, at the cost of $15.8 million.
August 1988 saw the opening of a frontage road connecting NW 62nd Street to 54th Street. This road was built to give Interstate 95 motorists access to 54th Street (via the 62nd Street exit) that they hadn't had upon the closing of the 54th Street ramps in 1976. Business owners along NW 54th Street also pushed for this road, complaining that lack of access hurt their businesses.
The next segment of reconstructed Interstate 95 involved constructing HOV flyover ramps to the Airport Expressway. Depending on which direction you were traveling, the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on Interstate 95 would end (or begin) and would soar over the westbound Airport Expressway. Construction started in October 1987 and ended in December 1990.
Additional segments of Interstate 95 between the Airport Expressway and the Golden Glades Interchange began construction, with the last section of widening occurring between NW 129th and 151st Street. Construction began in May 1992 and ended February 1995.
Part of this project also entailed a pair of one-mile long, 94-foot high flyover ramps which would carry the Interstate 95 HOV lanes above the Golden Glades Interchange, therefore missing it entirely. These ramps opened on January 11, 1995, to mixed reviews and $40 million. Some felt that much money had been wasted on ramps that would be utilized by few, and others felt that they were ugly. At any rate, they drastically changed the look of the Golden Glades Interchange, and were visible from miles away peeking through residential neighborhoods. The HOV lanes are only in effect from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Monday through Friday.
With the flyovers and remaining projects completed by mid-July, thus marked the end of an eight-year long ordeal of continuous construction from Miami to southern Palm Beach County. It was undoubtedly one of the most complex, expensive, yet impressive road construction projects in Florida and the nation, perhaps more so than Interstate 595. Now it would be the time to reap the results of a wider Interstate 95 and the benefits it would bring.
In August 1999, a seven-month project began to grate and smooth the surface of Interstate 95, which had no doubt been disrupted by the construction projects five to ten years prior. The grating of the road was to provide increased traction when the road becomes slick with rain. The result of this project is a much smoother Interstate 95, and a supposedly less slick roadway in the rain.
From 2001-2002, sound walls were constructed along most of Interstate 95 from the Golden Glades Interchange to SR 112. Prior to this, the only section in Dade County that had sound walls was the segment between the Golden Glades Interchange and Ives Dairy Road. Many segments of Interstate 95 in Broward and Palm Beach County had sound walls installed during the widening in the late 1980s, but somehow Dade was left out. The sound walls have a "Florida" theme, graced with imprints of birds and painted a sand color.
With all of these reconstruction projects, one would imagine smooth sailing for Interstate 95 motorists, right? Well, this is untrue for the busiest hours, especially during the commute. From 7:00 to 10:00 a.m., southbound Interstate 95 from the Golden Glades Interchange to downtown is generally stop and go, and between 3:30 and 6:00 p.m., the same is true for northbound. However, not much can be done to Interstate 95 without significant neighborhood impacts. Interstate 95 does not have much right of way left for future widening without taking numerous businesses and residences. Of course, this makes future construction even more costly, which probably means minimal changes to Interstate 95's existing state for years to come.
The Future
Some people would like to see Interstate 95 double decked; this would be not only expensive but a dreadful sight. One solution that could work for Interstate 95 that is already being done is elevated reversible lanes, which are being constructed on Tampa's Crosstown Expressway (Toll Florida 618). These lanes will also be toll lanes, but their sleek design proves that expressways can effectively manage traffic yet look aesthetically pleasing at the same time. Toll lanes can be controversial, especially in Dade County, where there are a disproportionate number of poorer people. Stay tuned for more on the future of Interstate 95.
| Northbound Interstate 95
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| U.S. 1 and Interstate 95 split apart here, as U.S. 1 follows Brickell Avenue northeast to downtown Miami, while Interstate 95 begins as a freeway north to skirt the western edge of downtown and the eastern edge of Little Havanna. The freeway follows an elevated viaduct for most of its initial miles through the downtown area. Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 closely parallel each other throughout Florida, but they generally do not intersect. U.S. 1 stays closer to the coast than Interstate 95, choosing to enter the cities and towns along the way. Interstate 95 is not even the fastest route on the coast; Florida's Turnpike can offer a faster route during periods of congestion on Interstate 95 between Golden Glades and Fort Pierce. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| The first northbound Interstate 95 shield is mounted on the beginning of the viaduct that carries the freeway through downtown Miami. The first county along Interstate 95 is Miami-Dade County, which is home to 2,253,362 people in 2000 per the U.S. Census, with 362,470 living in Miami, 226,419 in Hialeah, and 87,993 in Miami Beach. Eighteen cities (Aventura, Bay Harbor Islands, Coral Gables, Doral, Florida City, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Homestead, Islandia, Miami, Miami Springs, Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, North Bay Village, North Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach, Sweetwater, West Miami) are located within Miami-Dade County, and the city of Miami was the first one founded, in 1896.1 Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| In this view of Interstate 95 northbound, the nascent freeway is only four lanes wide, separated by a jersey barrier on a fairly narrow section of right of way. This changes quickly, however, once Interstate 95 meets the Florida 970 downtown connector. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| The first exit along northbound Interstate 95 is Exit 1B, Junction U.S. 41. There is no access to Exit 1A (Junction Florida 913 southeast to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne via the Rickenbacker Causeway) from northbound Interstate 95, but U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail/SW 8th Street eastbound serves downtown as well, with U.S. 41 reaching its southern terminus at its intersection with U.S. 1 a few blocks east of Exit 1B. U.S. 41 used to continue further east to Miami Beach, but it was truncated in 1999. By 2004, maps started to show this section of former U.S. 41 as Florida A1A. Notably, U.S. 41 in Miami-Dade County is signed east-west rather than north-south. This makes sense considering that the highway is almost exclusively east-west through Miami. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Interstate 95 expands from two lanes to four lanes along northbound as incoming lanes from Florida 913/Rickenbacker Causeway join the freeway to the right. The Interstate 95 freeway will remain four lanes along northbound for a good distance through South Florida. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| In this picture, traffic from northbound Florida 913 merges into northbound Interstate 95. From this vantage point, the left two lanes are the through traffic lanes for Interstate 95, the middle lane is from Florida 913, and the right lane comes onto the freeway from SW 26th Road. The latter two lanes merge together to form one lane. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| A table-sized, neutered shield is the second reassurance marker for northbound Interstate 95 as the freeway follows a viaduct over the Miami Metrorail and prepares to turn due north (the freeway was aiming northeast between U.S. 1 and this point). Interstate 95 remains on an elevated viaduct for a good distance while the freeway skirts downtown Miami to the east. The tall buildings of the financial district rise into view on the nascent Interstate highway. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| At Milepost 1, Interstate 95 is already a six-lane freeway, with a 55 mile per hour speed limit and a generous traffic flow. As an alternate to U.S. 1 and U.S. 441, Interstate 95 carries the bulk of the outbound traffic from Miami north to Fort Lauderdale and the Atlantic Coast. Via Interstate 595 in Fort Lauderdale, Interstate 95 connects to Naples and Florida's Gulf Coast via Interstate 75. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Like most coastal freeways, Interstate 95 is designated as a hurricane evacuation route. Interstate 95 and Florida's Turnpike were used extensively in 2004, when several hurricanes threatened various parts of Florida. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| This older sign indicates that the next exit is Exit 1B, Junction U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail/SW 8th Street/SW 7th Street, 0.25 mile. Use U.S. 41/SW 7th Street west to reach U.S. 441, which begins its northbound journey only a few blocks west of here at the intersection of SW 8th Street and SW 7th Avenue. U.S. 441 becomes a major north-south route in Florida, choosing to follow the Atlantic Coast north to near West Palm Beach, then heading north to Orlando and rejoining U.S. 41 in High Springs and Lake City. U.S. 41, meanwhile, takes a due west routing toward the Everglades and Naples, then heads north along the Gulf Coast en route to Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, Ocala, and Gainesville. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Northbound Interstate 95 reaches Exit 1B, Junction U.S. 41/Florida 90/Tamiami Trail/SW 8th Street east to downtown Miami and U.S. 1/Florida 5/Brickell Avenue. Upon exiting, proceed one block further to reach U.S. 41/SW 7th Street west to U.S. 441/Florida 7/SW 7th Avenue, Little Havana, West Miami, and Sweetwater. The next exit is Exit 2, Junction Florida 970 east to downtown Miami and Junction U.S. 1/Biscayne Boulevard. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Tourist information signs, such as this one present at the gore point for Exit 1B/Junction U.S. 41 provide the destinations served by Interstate 95 that are popular with tourists. In this case, the destinations include downtown (via Exit 2A, Florida 970/To U.S. 1), Miami Beach via Interstate 395, and Miami International Airport via Florida 112. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| The Interstate 95 viaduct continues as the freeway approaches Exit 2A, Junction Florida 970 east to downtown Miami and U.S. 1. Florida 970 is not signed because the route is extremely short and directly connects to U.S. 1. The following exit is Exit 2B, NW Second Street. Note that a fourth lane enters the freeway from the left. Through traffic in the right lane should merge left. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Looking east, the Metrorail rises high above the Miami River as it enters downtown, running parallel to Interstate 95. Interstate 95 also reaches a higher elevation to span the Miami River and allow boats to pass underneath. Downtown high rises dominate the view to the east. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Interstate 95 flies over the Miami River just prior to the Florida 970 interchange (Exit 2A). Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| The third northbound reassurance shield for Interstate 95 north partially obscures the glass Bank of America building in downtown Miami. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Northbound Interstate 95 reaches Exit 2A, Junction Florida 970. Known bureaucratically as the "Downtown Distributor," Florida 970 is a very short freeway designed to connect the center of downtown Miami (the vicinity of Flagler Street) to Interstate 95, for a grand distance of 0.6 miles. It was completed in 1970 as part of the last link of Interstate 95 to be completed in Dade County in downtown Miami. Florida 970 has remained completely unchanged to this day. Note that the right lane becomes exit only for Exit 2B, To Florida 968. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Florida 970 is a forbidden tangle of ramps that brings motorists from Interstate 95 to the center of downtown Miami at SE Second Avenue and Third Street, and back to Interstate 95 from there without having to navigate one-way streets. As noted earlier, Florida 970 gets no mention of and is not indicated on any signs on Interstate 95. Instead, the signs for Florida 970 on Interstate 95 southbound and northbound read "Miami Avenue - Downtown" and "Biscayne Boulevard," which are Exits 2B and 2A, respectively. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| View of the Florida 970 downtown connector as seen from the transition ramp from northbound Interstate 95 to eastbound Florida 970. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| The next exit is Exit 2B, NW Second Street. The Exit 2B ramp exits north and merges onto northbound NW Third Avenue after passing NW Second Street. Use this exit to reach Florida 968, a one-way couplet of Flagler Street (westbound) and SW First Street (eastbound), via NW Second Street east to NW Second Avenue south. To reach Miami Arena and American Airlines Arena, use NW Third Avenue north to NW Fifth Street east. Use NE First Avenue to reach Miami Arena and U.S. 1/Biscayne Boulevard to reach American Airlines Arena. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| After Exit 2B/NW Second Street, the northbound freeway is again three lanes and still on a viaduct. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| The next interchange along northbound Interstate 95 is for Interstate 395 east to Miami Beach (Exit 2D) and Florida 836/Dolphin Expressway west to West Miami and Sweetwater (Exit 3A/left exit). Note the use of series B font on the Florida 836 shield and series D font on the Interstate 395 shield. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Interstate 395 is a very short freeway spur that connects Interstate 95 with the MacArthur Causeway en route to Miami Beach. The causeway is not Interstate standard and is designated Florida A1A, so Interstate 395 only exists between Interstate 95 and U.S. 1. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Northbound Interstate 95 reaches the transition ramp to Interstate 395 east at Exit 2D. The right lane exits only onto Interstate 395, while the three main lanes continue north and the left lane prepares to transition to Florida 836 westbound. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| View of Interstate 95 north as seen from the vicinity of the Interstate 395 ramp gore point. After the Interstate 395/Florida 836 interchange (Exit 2D/3A), Interstate 95 returns to ground level after several miles riding on a viaduct. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| The left lane for Interstate 95 is exit only. Florida 836 is not tolled in the westbound direction, but it is tolled eastbound. The freeway is the best route to the Palmetto Expressway (Florida 826) and Interstate 75. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| This transition ramp carries traffic from northbound Interstate 95 to eastbound Interstate 395. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| The next exit along northbound Interstate 95 is Exit 3A, Junction Florida 836/Dolphin Expressway west, followed by Exit 4, Junction Interstate 195/Julia Tuttle Causeway east to Miami Beach. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Northbound Interstate 95 reaches the left exit for Exit 3A, Junction Florida 836 westbound (as seen from the transition ramp from northbound Interstate 95 to eastbound Interstate 395). Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Finaly, the transition ramp from Interstate 95 north to Interstate 395 east bends to the east. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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| Traffic from northbound Interstate 95 prepares to merge onto eastbound Interstate 395. Photo taken 12/28/03.
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Sources:
- Miami-Dade Municipal Planning Organization - Municipalities and population counts
Page Updated January 25, 2005.
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