MIAMI – The U.S. Department of Transportation deputy secretary was in South Florida on Friday to announce more improvements to the Tamiami Trail, which will allow more water to flow into Everglades National Park.
"Today we are announcing the awarding of a $20 million grant to help replace part of the Tamiami Trail with a new two-and-a-half-mile elevated bridge," said DOT Deputy Secretary Victor Mendez.
For 75 years, the Tamiami Trail has connected one side of Florida to the other, and cut off the natural flow of water into Everglades National Park.
"The 2.6-mile western bridge we will now build will work in tandem with the one-mile eastern bridge that we just completed, re-hydrating the east Everglades area that is dying of thirst," said Everglades Nat'l Park Superintendent Bob Krumenaker. "It will also provide a path to move water south from Lake Okeechobee."
The Federal Department of Transportation is awarding $20 million for the new bridge and the state of Florida has already kicked in $90 million.
"By uncorking this road we allow that water from Lake Okeechobee to flow through the central parts of the Everglades into Everglades National Park, which unfortunately is starved for water," said Everglades Foundation CEO Erik Eikenberg.
The total cost of the bridge project is $180 million.
Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10