The Florida Department of Transportation unveiled this week plans to expand parts of the Turnpike in Broward County.
FDOT plans to "add capacity and improve safety on Florida’s Turnpike from State Road 821 to Griffin Road," according to the project's presentation.
Construction is expected to start in 2024 and be completed by 2027.
The multi-year project is still in the design phase, when plans and estimates are developed. Management of the project will be split, with consulting firm Kimley-Horn handling Miramar Boulevard to Johnson Street and American Consulting managing from Johnson Street to Griffin Road.
The plan is to repurpose the shoulders of the Turnpike into drivable lanes from Miramar Parkway to Griffin Road.
A focus of the project is to "improve travel time reliability and enhance mobility" at the ramps to enter and exit the Turnpike at Hollywood Boulevard/Pines Boulevard.
The surrounding area saw 1,328 crashes from 2014-2018, according to the FDOT presentation. Those crashes resulted in two fatalities and 242 injuries.
The entire project area, the Turnpike from Miramar Boulevard and Griffin Road saw nearly 4,000 crashes — and 19 fatalities — from 2014-2018.
FDOT called this an "interim solution" to the traffic demand of the area. "Traffic predictions indicate that an ultimate widening will be needed along this corridor in the near future," the presentation read.
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