Water flow opened beneath Tamiami Trail Bridge

MIAMI – The Army Corps of Engineers removed dirt and mud on Wednesday morning, allowing canal water to flow south beneath the newly opened Tamiami Trail Bridge and into the Everglades.

The 1.1 mile elevated stretch of bridge allows the natural flow of water from north to south in Everglades National Park. It opened to traffic last month.

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Tamiami Bridge

The $81 million bridge, adjacent to the northern boundary of Everglades National Park, is part of the largest construction project in the history of the National Park Service. It will increase water flow by 92 percent over current levels to Northeast Shark River Slough and rehydrate and restore the 104,000-acre east portion of Everglades National Park, which Congress added to the park in 1989, all the way down to Florida Bay.

The project began in 1989 when Congress passed the Everglades Expansion and Protection Act.

READ: Obama administration's "Restoring America's Everglades" report |