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NE 12 Street Shutting Down To Pave Way For 'Signature Bridge' & I-95, I-395, SR 836 Upgrade

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Here we go again. Beginning Monday, a major highway construction project will shut down one of the most traveled roads in downtown Miami.

Portions of Northeast 12th Street are permanently closing and those closures will affect three major South Florida highways.

The Florida Department of Transportation and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority are closing Northeast 12th Street from Biscayne Boulevard to Northeast First Avenue.

The shutdown on Aug. 12 is for the construction of a new I-395 bridges including the Signature Bridge.

I-395 bridge
Artist rendering of Signature Bridge over Biscayne Blvd in downtown Miami (Source: i395-miami.com)

"All this is in an effort to bring relief to the drivers that are commuting through the area," explains FDOT spokesman Oscar Gonzalez.

Once the road is closed, there will be electronic message signs directing drivers through the new traffic pattern.

Drivers on southbound Biscayne Boulevard or NE 2 Avenue wanting to access westbound I-395/SR 836 or I-95 can turn right on NE 13 Street, then turn left on NE 1 Avenue to access the westbound I-395 ramp.

Northeast 1 Avenue will be converted to a two-way street from NE 13 Street to I-395 to make way for the traffic.

All of this will be going on just south of the Adrienne Arsht Center and across from the Perez Art Museum.

Drivers on northbound Biscayne Boulevard or other points south of I-395 will continue to access the westbound I-395 ramp via NE 11 Street and NE 1 Avenue.

"It is going to cause a big blockage as you try to head up north," says one driver.

"Oh no that is not good," says another.

A third adds, "My god, so now what."

So what's the price tag on this project and when will it be done?

Gonzales says, "802 million and right now it is scheduled to be done in the fall of 2023."

It will include double-decking a section of the highway, repaving a stretch of I-95 and that will mean lane closures, traffic shifts and more detours.

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