Massive Signature Bridge Project Still Has Four Years To Go

After another year of near-constant highway construction, Miami is beginning to see the physical transformation of its downtown transportation network take shape. Steel arches, expanded roadways, and rebuilt interchanges now define a project the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) calls one of the city’s most ambitious infrastructure efforts to date.

FDOT reports that 2025 marked a year of major advancement on the I-395/SR 836/I-95 Design-Build Project, a joint initiative with the Greater Miami Expressway Agency. Construction progressed across all three corridors, with visible milestones signaling a reimagining of some of Miami’s most heavily traveled routes.

The $866 million program includes the construction of a signature bridge with dramatic arches spanning Northeast Second Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard, a new double-decked roadway over State Road 836 and the Miami River, and an added lane at the northbound entrance to I-95. The overarching goal is to increase capacity, improve traffic flow and safety, and enhance access throughout the corridor network.

Work on SR 836 moved steadily eastward toward the Miami River throughout the year, supported by a specialized 488-foot gantry system designed to handle the complex double-deck construction. Crews completed major structural elements, including the largest of three straddle bents stretching 180 feet across multiple lanes, and installed massive rebar cages weighing more than 150,000 pounds. All foundations for the elevated roadway are now in place, with most of the supporting piers completed and the remainder nearing finish. To date, seven deck pours have been completed, representing more than 12 million pounds of concrete.

Progress also accelerated through the use of additional equipment, allowing faster installation of precast pier caps and helping keep the east–west corridor on schedule.

Along I-95, large sections of pavement replacement were completed through some of the city’s busiest segments. The northern portion of the project, from Northwest 17th to 29th streets, is now finished, while work between Northwest Eighth and 17th streets is nearing completion. Northbound lanes are fully done, and southbound lanes are more than 95% complete, promising a smoother and more durable roadway once finalized.

Perhaps the most visually striking progress came on I-395, where the reconstruction anchored by the future signature bridge began to redefine the skyline. Crews completed closure pours on two of the bridge’s six sweeping arches, including the tallest, which rises 330 feet above downtown. All precast arch segments have been fabricated, and more than half have already been erected. Below ground, foundation work reached major milestones with hundreds of deep auger cast piles installed and multiple arch foundations completed.

Nearby, the segmental bridges linking I-95 and SR 836 continued to rise, with thousands of piles and precast segments already in place. One new ramp—from northbound I-95 to eastbound I-395—opened this year with wider shoulders, while two additional ramps are scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2026.

The full project is expected to wrap up in late 2029, ultimately reshaping how traffic moves through the heart of Miami.