Turnpike overpass to be finished soon

Michael Turnbell | TRANSPORTATION COLUMNIST

August 31, 2008

The southbound Florida's Turnpike bridge over Atlantic Avenue west of Delray Beach has a bad bump. Is it going to be fixed?

— Harold Kaplan, Coconut Creek

Southbound turnpike traffic shifted to the new overpass earlier this month and is traveling on new asphalt with a much smoother transition.

Crews are continuing to pour asphalt on the western side of the overpass. If the weather cooperates, that should be done this week.

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Why doesn't the state build a flyover ramp from westbound Broward Boulevard to southbound Interstate 95, similar to the one on Commercial Boulevard?

— Malcolm Moyse, Miami Gardens

State officials decided against building an elevated ramp in the late 1980s, opting instead to widen Broward Boulevard with two left turn lanes to southbound I-95 and the feeder road to I-595.

Although the state agreed to build one flyover from eastbound Broward to northbound I-95, officials couldn't justify building a westbound flyover unless Broward was widened between downtown and I-95.

Another plan that would have turned Broward into a three-level interchange also was thrown out.

There needs to be a dedicated right turn lane on westbound Green Road at Military Trail in Deerfield Beach. With a single westbound lane, drivers continuing through the intersection hold up others behind them who want to make a right turn. Why not turn one of the two left turn lanes into a through lane?

— Margaret Abrames, Deerfield Beach

It can't be done because the outside left-turn lane doesn't align with the lane on the opposite side of the intersection.

Even if it could, it probably wouldn't be a good idea, said Andrew Sebo, a Broward County traffic operations engineer.

That's because the existing double left turn lanes actually help traffic making left turns clear the intersection more quickly than if there was a single left turn lane. That allows a longer green signal for drivers going straight through the intersection or turning right.

Also, westbound drivers headed through the intersection outnumber right-turning traffic by a 2-to-1 margin at rush hour.

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