Community Meeting Recap: Updates on the Rickenbacker Bridge

On July 2, 2024, city leaders held a community meeting to discuss the latest updates and developments concerning the Rickenbacker Bridge. The meeting was well-attended by residents, stakeholders, and concerned citizens, all eager to learn about the future of this vital infrastructure. This interest was heightened by the traffic chaos in April, where drivers leaving Key Biscayne faced significant delays, with many spending four hours or more in standstill traffic due to road closures for the rehabilitation project.

Here are some of the key points discussed during the meeting:

Project Team

►  Ivan Hay, P.E. | North Miami-Dade Resident Engineer

►  John M. Garzia, P.E. | North Miami-Dade Assistant Resident Engineer

and Project Manager

►  John Bolton, P.E. | CCEI Senior Project Engineer

►  Seacoast Incorporated | Contractor

►  Jeff Baquedano | Community Outreach Specialist

Scope of Work:

►  Replacing portions of the concrete bridge deck on ramps to northbound
SR 9A/I-95 and southbound SR 5/US 1

►  Cleaning and painting bridge structures

►  Replacing bridge expansion joints

►  Replacing pavement markings and reflective pavement markers

Phase 1 : Westbound Flyover Bridge Ramp Closure to southbound SR 5/US 1

The southbound ramp closure is scheduled to commence on Monday, July 8, and will continue through Saturday, July 20.

► Full ramp closure to southbound SR 5/US 1 will be implemented and will remain closed for at least 12 days including one weekend.

► Once the concrete pavement rehabilitation on the ramp to SR 5/US 1/S Dixie Highway is completed, all ramps on the flyover bridge will remain open until the next phase.

Mitigation Efforts

►  Coordinatingtrafficsignaltimingathigh volume intersections with Miami-Dade County

►  Coordinatingwithkeyagenciesand municipalities:

Miami-Dade County

▪  Police

▪  Fire

▪  Transportation and Public Works

City of Miami

▪  Police

▪  Fire

▪  Transportation and Public Works

▪  Parking Authority

Village of Key Biscayne

▪ Police ▪ Fire

► Watering and sweeping will help alleviate dust and debris

► Off-duty traffic control officers as needed

► All detours will be established with clear signage and messaging

The meeting concluded with a commitment to ongoing dialogue and collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of these plans and improvements. The city leaders expressed their gratitude for the community's active participation and valuable feedback, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts in enhancing the Rickenbacker Bridge and its surrounding areas.