Atlantic Blvd exchange at the Sawgrass Expressway.
By Sharon Aron Baron
More lanes on the Sawgrass Expressway may be store in the future.
Through a series of projects, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, part of the Florida Department of Transportation, plans to widen the Sawgrass Expressway from south of Sunrise Boulevard, through Tamarac, Coral Springs, Parkland to 441 in Coconut Creek.
This will provide additional capacity to meet future traffic demand in 2045, improve hurricane evacuation times, and improve safety within the corridor.
The Atlantic Boulevard Interchange Improvements project will be the first segment of the series to be constructed.
Between the north of Commercial Boulevard to the north of Atlantic Boulevard, the area is prioritized to improve the drainage capacity and address flooding concerns along Atlantic Boulevard and the Sawgrass Expressway ramps, including the reconstruction of the Atlantic Boulevard Interchange.
Additional safety and operational improvements are proposed along Atlantic Boulevard, including incorporating bike lanes in both directions from the west of Atlantic Blvd. Interchange to Lakeview Drive and NW 122nd St in the eastbound direction.
There are no access changes proposed along Atlantic Boulevard.
Within the limits of the project, the Sawgrass Expressway will be widened to accommodate ten 12-foot travel lanes — five in each direction a 12-foot outside shoulder, a 15-foot inside shoulder, and a 32-foot median with a barrier wall (15-foot inside shoulders and a 2-foot barrier wall) at the Atlantic Boulevard interchange area.
Since this is the first segment being constructed to accommodate ten lanes, only six lanes will be striped for use until the adjacent segments of the Sawgrass Expressway are constructed.
The virtual public information meeting will be held on Thursday, July 8, 2021, at 5:45 p.m., and an in-person meeting on Thursday, July 15, 2021, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Interested residents may participate from a computer, tablet, or phone on Thursday, July 8, 2021. Participants attending virtually may join in listen-only mode by calling 1-631-992-3221 and entering the access code 299-608-758 when prompted. Virtual/online and telephone attendees will participate in the same virtual public information meeting.
Residents who would like to attend in-person can go to the DoubleTree by Hilton, Sunrise-Sawgrass Mills, Seminole Ballroom, located at 13400 West Sunrise Boulevard, Sunrise, FL 33323, Thursday, July 15, 2021.
If the in-person meeting cannot be held due to inclement weather, the meeting will be held on the alternate date of July 27, 2021, at the same time and location.
To participate in the public information meeting in-person, the Department requests advance registration to help ensure attendees are accommodated safely following current social distancing guidelines. Please visit the project website at FloridasTurnpike.com/Sawgrass-Atlantic or email at Teresa Price Teresa.Price@dot.state.fl.us to register for the in-person option.
Persons wishing to submit public comments or questions may do so whether attending virtually or at the in-person location. Those who cannot participate in the Public Information Meeting may submit comments by contacting Teresa Price using the contact information provided above or below.
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