Highway Hazard Causes Traffic Nightmare For Dade Drivers

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -  A section of I-395 was closed to traffic Friday morning after a separation in the road caused several flat tires.

All of the lanes of eastbound State Road 836, just west of Biscayne Boulevard, were closed to traffic but later reopened just before 4 p.m.

Chopper 4 was over the closed off section earlier and spotted workers examining a substantial gap in a joint where where SR 836 connects to I-395. The Department of Transportation said this happened when a steel "bridge joint" (a heavy metal seam) connecting sections of concrete overpass lifted up from the roadway.

"Several vehicles struck it. It's a piece of metal that's probably about 10 feet so it caused significant damage to about four vehicles," said Florida Highway Patrol's Joe Sanchez.

Those vehicles ended up with flat tires after driving over it.

It ended causing the mother of all traffic nightmares. Those stuck on the eastbound Dolphin Exwy at I-395 had nowhere to get off and were forced to simply turn around.

"People are making u-turns and going against one-lane traffic on the ramps," said one driver, who began taping the vehicular madness.

The FHP escorted crews to fix the broken road. Downtown, it was grid-lock as drivers struggled to bypass the blockage.

"It's crazy. It's not cool, I'm late to work," said another frustrated commuter.

Through hours of frustration and logjam, thankfully no one got hurt.

Transportation department officials said it is very rare that steel joints to separate like that. The joints are inspected and maintained every two years, so this is not a case of an old, deteriorating span.

Until the repairs were completed, drivers heading east on State Road 836 were diverted off to I-95. All visitors and residents coming onto Miami Beach were urged to avoid 836 eastbound and use State Road 112, I-195/Julia Tuttle or the JFK/79 Street Causeway.