DATE: November 3, 2009
CONTACT: Kimberly Maroe, Public Information Manager
Broward County Board of County Commissioners
PHONE: 954-357-8053
Drivers will have a much easier commute on Wiles Road when the long anticipated Turnpike overpass opens on Thursday, November 5. The Wiles Road overpass in Coconut Creek bridges the gap that once prevented motorists from driving east or west on Wiles Road once they came to the Florida Turnpike. The absence of the overpass forced commuters to drive north to the Sawgrass Expressway or south to Sample Road in order to cross the highway.
"This overpass connects two very diverse and vibrant communities that have been previously separated by the Turnpike," said Broward County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs, whose district encompasses Coconut Creek. "The overpass also expands Broward County bike lanes and connects to the Coconut Creek trail system, which provides increased opportunities for cyclists and pedestrians."
A ribbon cutting celebration is planned for Thursday, November 5, at 3 p.m. on the Wiles Road overpass where it crosses the Turnpike between Lyons Road and Powerline Road in Coconut Creek. Commissioner Jacobs, Coconut Creek Mayor Marilyn Gerber, Deerfield Beach Mayor Peggy Noland, Broward County Interim Deputy County Administrator Dick Brossard and Quiet Waters Elementary School teacher Maryellen Pinzon will speak at the opening ceremony. The overpass will open immediately following the event.
Children from Quiet Waters Elementary School's Transportation Transformers Robotics Club, Team 607, will also participate. The robotics club students solve real-world engineering challenges by building a LEGO robot to complete tasks on a playing surface. They also have to research challenges facing today's scientists. This year's theme is called "Smart Move." Their challenge was to discover how people, information, and things travel. Part of their research included a tour with Broward County traffic engineers to study the Wiles Road overpass. The Transportation Transformers Club students were able to witness and take part in the overall transformation of this vital transportation component.
Broward County's Highway Construction and Engineering Division managed the $21 million project. Russell Engineering, Inc. and Keith & Schnars, P.A., were awarded contracts to build the overpass.
The design of the overpass included the addition of a reclaimed water transmission line that will allow the City of Coconut Creek to provide approximately 2 million gallons per day of reclaimed water to parks, schools, the proposed Creek Commons development and residential units in the City's service area. Broward County's Water and Wastewater Services Division won the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2009 "Project of the Year" award for Wiles Road reclaimed water line project.
Additional measures were also taken to protect adjacent residents from an increase in traffic intrusion. Sound walls were raised to prevent glare from oncoming traffic headlights and landscape buffers were set in place to mitigate further traffic noise.
|