Port Miami Tunnel
SR 887 | |
Start | Watson Island |
---|---|
End | Dodge Island |
Operation | |
Work begun | May 24, 2010 |
Constructed | Bouygues Construction |
Opened | August 3, 2014 |
Owner | FDOT |
Operator | MAT Concessionaire, LLC |
Traffic | Automotive |
Toll | None |
Vehicles per day | 7000 (August 2014)[1] |
Technical | |
Length | 4,200 feet (1,300 m) |
No. of lanes | 2 (per tunnel) |
Operating speed | 35 miles per hour[2] |
Highest elevation | Sea level |
Lowest elevation | −120 feet (−37 m)[2] |
Tunnel clearance | 15 feet (4.6 m) |
Width | 43 feet (13 m) per tunnel |
Grade | 5%[2] |
www |
| ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Florida | |||
Highway system | ||||
|
The Port of Miami Tunnel (also State Road 887) is a 4,200-foot (1,300 m)
The project was approved after decades of planning and discussion in December 2007, but was temporarily cancelled a year later. Construction began in May 2010. The tunnel boring machine began work in November 2011 and completed the second tunnel in May 2013.[7] The tunnel was opened to traffic on August 3, 2014.[8] In the first month after opening, the tunnel averaged 7,000 vehicles per day, and nearly 16,000 vehicles now[when?] travel to the port on a typical weekday.[1]
History
The idea of a tunnel connecting the Port of Miami to Watson Island was first conceived in the 1980s as a way to reduce traffic congestion in downtown Miami. Prior to the tunnel's opening, the only route for PortMiami traffic was a two-lane drawbridge that emptied out into the streets of downtown Miami. The heavy traffic was considered detrimental to the economic growth of downtown, and a planned project to expand the port's capacity threatened to increase the volume of trucks coming through. These problems were alleviated, but not solved, by the construction of a six-lane elevated bridge, which still stands, in the early 1990s.
Federal funding for a preliminary study into the tunnel proposal was included in the controversial
Prior to 2008, the project had been estimated at a total cost of $3.1 billion
Overview
The Port of Miami Tunnel project involved the design and widening of the
The project connects the east/west
Before completion of the tunnel, in 2009, nearly 16,000 vehicles travelled to and from PortMiami through downtown streets each weekday. Truck traffic made up 28% (or 4,480) of this number (Source: 2009 PB Americas Traffic Study). In 2010 it was estimated that around 19,000 vehicles traveled to the port daily but that only 16% were trucks.[9] Existing truck and bus routes restricted the port's ability to grow, driving up costs for port users and presenting safety hazards. They were also thought to congest and limit redevelopment of the northern portion of Miami's Central Business District.[26]
The Port of Miami Tunnel includes providing a direct connection from the Port of Miami to highways via Watson Island to I-395 and, along with the deep dredge, keeping the Port of Miami, the county's second largest economic generator (after Miami International Airport), supporting over 11,000 jobs directly with an average salary of $50,000,[29] a competitive player in international trade.[15] The Port of Miami provides 176,000 jobs, $6.4 billion in wages and $17 billion in economic output. (Source: 2007 Port of Miami Economic Impact Study).
Public-private partnership (PPP)
The tunnel project is a public-private partnership (PPP or P3), designed to transfer the responsibility to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the project to the private sector. Ten banks,
When construction is completed, FDOT will make availability payments to the concessionaire. These payments will be contingent upon actual lane availability and service quality: if the tunnel is closed or the road is in bad condition, part or all of the payment for that period may be withheld.[30] The tunnel will be turned over to FDOT in first-class condition at the end of the contract in October 2044, thirty years after its completion.[20] Maintenance costs over this 30-year period are expected to total around $200 million.[33] Unlike many similar public-private partnerships, the tunnels will not have a toll.[19]
The originally scheduled June 2014 opening was delayed due to several mechanical problems, including leaky pipes, broken exhaust fans due to sudden vibrations, and failing bolts. The general contractor Bouygues was fined $115,000 for every day that the tunnel was not open, losing millions of dollars. The tunnel was officially opened to commercial and private traffic on August 3, 2014.
Criticism
According to the Miami Herald the financing structure of the plan is notable for the amount of financial risk taken by the builders in return for the long term concession on the tunnel.[13] Opposition to the project states that it is a waste of taxpayer money, and may become Miami's Big Dig, the nickname of a tunnel megaproject in Boston, which was a $4 billion project that ended up costing $22 billion in cost overruns. Many believe that the Port of Miami Tunnel Project will be likely to have similar cost overruns,[34] even though the Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) promised that the project would finish on time and without overruns.[35] They also state that truck traffic is not a problem in Downtown, and that since 1991 car and truck traffic had reduced significantly.[36]
Downtown business owners have referred to it as the "tunnel to no where," stating that no one will use it. In 1992, 32,000 vehicles entered the port daily, a number which later dropped to nearly half that, but had once again risen to around 19,000 by 2011.
The contractor stated that they will continue without the additional requested money if FDOT denies it, but it may end up as a court case as the contractor seeks it later.[41] On July 19, the FDOT denied the request for more money to the contractor, stating that the geological issue cited was not as extensive as MAT claimed.[42]
Although there is great speculation that the Port of Miami Tunnel project is both unnecessary and a waste of taxpayer dollars, it is expected to have positive benefits in the long run which coincide with several other related projects predicted to increase its traffic, many, such as the
Cruise traffic
In addition to the expected increase in cargo traffic, the Port of Miami recently stated that October 2010 was its busiest October ever for cruise vacations. The port had a record 346,513 cruise passengers that October, up 29% from October 2009. This follows a record year in cruise traffic, with 4.15 million cruise passengers in the 12 months that ended in September.
As for cargo traffic, truckers state that despite the longer miles, they can make more trips per day at Port Everglades. Also, they blame the port itself for this, not the Downtown traffic.[36] They state that at Port Everglades, they can make three to four runs a day, versus Port of Miami where "you're lucky if you get in two," states truck driver Alejandro Arrieta, due to waiting time at the port, which is often several hours.[9] Port Everglades also has major redevelopment plans underway that includes its own deep dredging to a 50-foot (15 m) depth;[49] they also claim to have surpassed the Port of Miami, which has long been known as the "Cruise Capital of the World" as well as the "Cargo Gateway to the Americas," in both cruise traffic and cargo tonnage handled.
Railroad access
The Port of Miami was also recently awarded a federal grant as part of the
Opposition to the railroad line returning to service included that it would be as much of a problem to downtown traffic as the container trucks and that the noise would be a disturbance to nearby residents. As with before, however, trains are occasional and reserved for specialty loads, such as oversized loads and hazardous materials, which will be banned from the tunnel.[
Downtown congestion
Another major benefit of the tunnel will be the redirecting of the large number of vehicles (nearly 16,000 daily; 2009 estimate),
The developers for a once planned project for the north side of downtown, known as Miami City Square, stated that the heavy truck traffic and congestion in that area was a "grave concern."
Additionally, the population of Downtown Miami nearly doubled from 2000 to 2010, and is expected to increase by several thousand more in the current decade, largely due to many new high rise condo developments in the downtown area adding thousands of housing units which will benefit from having the tunnel.[18] Although traffic and port activity has declined since the early 1990s, losing some of it to the nearby Port Everglades, which overtook Port of Miami in 2007 as Florida's largest cargo port,[9] the port is likely to see a large shift in the other direction after it becomes one of few deep water ports in the United States able to handle the New Panamax ships by 2016. Within the first month of opening, it was reported that congestion in the downtown area had eased.[63]
It was estimated that 46% to 80% of the passenger vehicles, many of which are shuttle buses and taxis and make up nearly three quarters of the total port traffic will use the tunnel after it was completed.[58]
Deep Dredge/Panama Canal expansion
The timing of the tunnel's construction and opening coincides with
Construction
Work on the Port of Miami Tunnel project began on Watson Island and Dodge Island, including work on the MacArthur Causeway, in May 2010.[67] Groundbreaking on the construction project was unannounced and considered secret, as the groundbreaking was scheduled for June 2010,[6] but actually took place on May 24, 2010,[68] without ceremony.
The tunnel boring machine was built in Germany and had to be re-assembled in Florida after arriving in crates on the 168 metres (551 ft)[69] cargo ship Combi Dock 1[70] on Thursday, June 23, 2011,[71][72] and being assembled in the median of the causeway[73] where the construction is taking place. Both directions of the MacArthur Causeway have remained open during the assembly of the machine except for nighttime lane closures and delays on the westbound side.[74]
The machine, which weighs more than 2,500 tons, was assembled in a 65-foot (20 m) deep pit known as the launching pad located in between two concrete walls in the median of the causeway, which only left a 42-foot (13 m) cutter visible from the road.
The tunnel boring machine was longer than a football field at 540 feet (160 m) long,[33] and over 40 feet (12 m) in diameter. It was used to bore two side by side 43 feet (13 m) diameter tunnels, one for each direction, each 3,900 feet (1.1 km) long.[77] The tunnel boring machine itself cost $45 million and was custom built for the Port of Miami Tunnel Project by the German firm Herrenknecht.[25] No explosives are said to be used on the construction of the tunnel.[22] Drilling of the tunnel itself commenced in mid-November 2011, with the drilling machine beginning work on the Watson Island tunnel entrance.[78]
The first tunnel connecting Watson Island and the Port of Miami was completed in August 2012,[79] and the second tunnel was completed on May 9, 2013, as "Harriet" emerged back on Watson Island, where digging had commenced in 2011.[80] The roadway construction should finish for an opening on May 15, 2014.[33] The MacArthur Causeway, which currently has three traffic lanes in each direction and a sidewalk on the eastbound side, will be widened to four 12-foot (3.7 m) wide traffic lanes with a ten-foot inner and outer shoulder, as well as a six-foot sidewalk.[81]
The tunnel was officially opened to commercial and private traffic on August 3, 2014, after minor mechanical delays pushed back the originally scheduled June 2014 opening date. The general contractor Bouygues was fined $115,000 for every day that the tunnel was not open, losing millions of dollars.
Controversies
In March 2011, one of the sub contractors of Bouygues fell under criticism for the dumping of tunnel fill on sensitive wetlands on
One other potential infill site that was briefly suggested is an inlet located between
See also
- Port of Miami Deep Dredge Project
- New Panamax
- Panama Canal expansion project
- Transportation in South Florida
References
- ^ a b Lincoff, Nina (September 24, 2014). "Port tunnel traffic grows". Miami Today. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ^ a b c Chardy, Alfonso (May 17, 2014). "Decades after conception, Miami has a port tunnel". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ "Port of Miami Tunnel". fdotmiamidade.com. Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "Public Private Partnership". portofmiamitunnel.com. Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ "General FAQ". portofmiamitunnel.com. Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
- ^ a b Alfonso Chardy (April 17, 2010). "Port of Miami tunnel project on track for June start". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 30, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ "Project History" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ Newland, Maggie (August 2, 2014). "Tunnel To PortMiami Opening Sunday Morning". WFOR-TV. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Erik Maza (June 2, 2010). "Port Of Miami Tunnel Project Could Be South Florida's Big Dig". Miami New Times. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
- ^ Pat Burson, Larry Lipman (April 1, 1987). "Fate of Miami tunnel hangs on today's Senate vote". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved June 29, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ Davis, Jeff. "30 Years Ago This Week: Reagan’s 1987 Highway Bill Veto", Eno Transportation Weekly, Eno Center for Transportation, March 27, 2017.
- ^ Julia Neyman and Oscar Pedro Musibay (December 13, 2007). "Miami OKs Marlins' stadium, port tunnel". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Larry Lebowitz (January 15, 2008). "Planned Miami port tunnel: Can we dig it?". Miami Herald. Retrieved January 15, 2008. [dead link]
- ^ WPLG-TV (April 16, 2009). "Port Of Miami Tunnel Project Revived". Archived from the originalon September 26, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ a b Miami Dade County (July 13, 2010). "City-County team up to secure federal funding for Port of Miami Deep Dredge Project". MiamiDade.gov. Archived from the original on September 5, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
- ^ Jose Perez Jones (March 20, 2011). "Miami needs Colombia free-trade pact". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on April 8, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
- ^ "Port of Miami tunnel". Critical Miami. 2005. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ a b "Florida DOT Mulls Bids on $1-Billion Miami Tunnel Job". Engineering News-Record. 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Shelly Sigo (October 19, 2009). "Mimai Tunnel Reaches Closure". The Bond Buyer. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
- ^ a b "Case Studies-Port of Miami Tunnel". Federal Highway Administration. 2010. Archived from the original on January 17, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
- ^ "Port of Miami Cargo". Edward Redlich. October 14, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
- ^ NBC Miami. Archived from the originalon March 13, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ "Video: Animation showing what the tunnel would look like". Miami Herald. January 15, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
- ^ NBC Miami. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ Miami Today News. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ a b c Alyce Robertson (May 25, 2010). "Miami can't afford to have Port of Miami tunnel delayed". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 30, 2011. [dead link]
- NBC Miami. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
- ^ "A Man, A Plan, A Tunnel". TransportationNation. March 17, 2011. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Miami Herald Editorial (July 14, 2011). "Ready to rake in the big bucks". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Chrissy Mancini Nichols (March 21, 2011). "PPP Profiles:Port of Miami Tunnel". Metropolitan Planning Council. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- Project Finance. October 23, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
- ^ "Port of Miami Tunnel: Digging deep". Project Finance. November 19, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
- ^ a b c Ashley Hopkins (April 13, 2011). "Monster boring machine from Germany to dig Port of Miami tunnels". Miami Today. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- ^ Felipe Azenha (June 2, 2010). "Is the Port of Miami Tunnel Our Big Dig or OurTunnel to Nowhere?". Transit Miami. Archived from the original on July 1, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
- WSVN-TV. June 11, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
- ^ a b Erik Maza (June 3, 2010). "Port of Miami Tunnel is a waste of taxpayer money". Miami New Times. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ^ "Miami Port Tunnel threatened again as SEC orders Miami to turn over its financial books". South East Shipping News. December 12, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Letters to the Editor". Miami Herald. June 23, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ Francisco Alvarado (May 24, 2011). "Five Reasons Carlos Gimenez Is The Wrong Man For The Job". Miami New Times. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
- ^ "New Mayor attends first commission meeting". WSVN-TV. July 7, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
- ^ Alfonso Chardy and Martha Brannigan (July 7, 2011). "Firm building Miami tunnel seeks more money months before starting to drill". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
- ^ Alfonso Chardy (July 19, 2011). "Florida officials deny reserve funds for Port of Miami tunnel builders". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 21, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ Andrew D. Melick (December 12, 2010). "How much should Seaport spend?". Miami Herald. Retrieved April 2, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ a b "USA: Port of Miami Deep Dredge Project to Double its Cargo Capacity". Dredging Today. November 26, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ Marilyn Bowden (May 26, 2011). "Outlook for small business financing is becoming brighter". Miami Today. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
- ^ Doreen Hemlock (December 21, 2010). "Port of Miami had busiest October ever for cruises". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 26, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ^ "Cruise traffic soars at Port of Miami". South Florida Business Journal. October 20, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ^ "Royal Caribbean Announces Allure Of The Seas' Inaugural Season". Royal Caribbean International. 2009. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
- ^ "Port Everglades: 300 million for Dredging in 2 billion dollar expansion plan (USA)". Dredging Today. March 3, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
- NBC Miami. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
- ^ "Miami port rail link construction set". Railway Age. July 13, 2011. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
- ^ "Back to the Future: Port of Miami & Florida East Coast Railway?". MiamiDade.gov. 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ Blake, Scott (May 7, 2014). "Seaport rail to expand again". MiamiToday News. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- Miami Today News. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- WSVN-TV. July 15, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
- ^ Ashley D. Torres (July 15, 2011). "FEC rail project starts – 800 jobs expected". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
- ^ "TIGER II Grant". Miami-Dade.gov. 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
- ^ a b Zachary Fagenson (June 2, 2011). "Florida East Coast Rail line to haul 5% of cargo trucks from Port of Miami". Miami Today. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ Hank Tester (June 11, 2010). "FDT Deems Port Tunnel "Really Sexy"". NBC Miami. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ Yudislaidy Fernandez (July 24, 2008). "Walmart in downtown Miami? Company confirms discussions have taken place, but says no agreements have been made". Miami Today News. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
- ^ Jacquelyn Weiner (June 2, 2011). "Miami to ease financial pressures by refinancing some loans". Miami Today. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Elaine Walker (July 31, 2011). "Genting Group is betting on Miami as future resort destination". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 1, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ Muiz, Andria C. (October 1, 2014). "Port Miami Tunnel marks first month of operation". Miami's Community Newspapers. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- ^ Uncredited (November 26, 2010). "Port of Miami seeks funds for 'Deep Dredge' project". SandandGravel.com. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ a b Alfonso Chardy (August 21, 2010). "Port of Miami puts rail project on fast track". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 30, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ Zachary Fagenson (June 9, 2011). "Major logistics centers vital to leverage growth at Port of Miami, Miami International Airport". Miami Today. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- ^ "Construction schedule". Florida Department of Transportation. 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ^ Brian Hamacher (May 24, 2010). "Dig This: Port of Miami Tunnel Construction Begins". NBC Miami. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
- ^ "Combi Dock I (IMO: 9400473)". vesseltracker. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ Alfonso Chardy (June 23, 2011). "Machine to drill Port of Miami tunnel arrives". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 24, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ Lidia Dinkova, Alfonso Chardy (June 23, 2011). "Ship carrying tunnel boring machine to dock at Port of Miami". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 23, 2011. [dead link]
- WSVN-TV. June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ Alfonso Chardy (May 17, 2011). "Drivers hit the brakes for road construction in S. Fla". Miami Herald. Retrieved May 17, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ Lidia Dinkova (June 27, 2011). "Assembly of tunnel boring machine to cause MacArthur Causeway lane closures". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 27, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ a b Alfonso Chardy (June 20, 2011). "A giant step for Port of Miami tunnel construction". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ Alfonso Chardy, The Miami Herald (August 9, 2011). "Miami tunnel boring machine gets a name: Harriet". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved August 11, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Shani Wallis (2010). "Port of Miami Tunnel gets underway". TunnelTalk. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
- ^ Viglucci, Andre (November 14, 2011). "Port of Miami tunnel drilling starts". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- ^ "Port of Miami Tunnel Halfway Done".
- ^ "PortMiami tunnel digging reaches end of the line". Miami Herald.
- ^ POMT Public Affairs Program Office (June 2, 2010). "Technical Fact Sheet" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
- NBC Miami. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ Miami Herald Editorial (June 25, 2011). "Don't make Virginia Key a casualty". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 25, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ Andres Viglucci (March 11, 2011). "Tunnel contractor makes wetland mess". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 30, 2011. [dead link]
- ^ "USA: Officials Propose Virginia Key Park's North Point for Dumping Site". Dredging Today. June 28, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ^ Jacquelyn Weiner (June 16, 2011). "Downtown Miami inlet a dredging dump site?". Miami Today News. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
- ^ Erik Bojnansky (August 4, 2011). "A Waterfront Park for All to Enjoy". Biscayne Times. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ^ Michael Miller (March 23, 2011). "Does Bouygues, Contractor On The $1 Billion Port Of Miami Tunnel, Have A $1 Million Yacht?". Miami New Times. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
- ^ Alfonso Chardy (July 31, 2011). "Tunnel builder accused of trespassing on seaplane base". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 1, 2011. [dead link]