FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – With orange cones, road closed signs and arrows informing drivers of yet another detour, it’s hard to miss the traffic shutdowns on the north and southbound lanes of Federal Highway.
The Florida Department of Traffic blocked off traffic through the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday morning as part of a days-long closure.
“The closure is part of the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel Improvements projects and FDOT crews will be working on north ventilation building fan replacement operations, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) conduit operations, concrete pole installation operations, and wire pulling operations,” a Fort Lauderdale city spokesperson said last Wednesday.
The closure is set to run through Saturday. It’s the latest inconvenience for drivers trying to maneuver around the construction between Southeast Second and Seventh streets.
“I got to go all the way around now,” driver Debra Pedicelli said.
Driver Vince Sanchez said, “I don’t come by here that often, but if I commuted, I would be upset.”
The $28.4 million improvement project is designed to extend the tunnel by 20 feet and enhance safety — all to construct a new, larger pedestrian plaza above it.
However, the project, which was expected to be completed in early 2023, continues to be pushed back by management.
“We were just talking about Fort Lauderdale always being behind on their projects,” Sanchez said.
Coralyn Wells, who owns French Touch Simple Dry Cleaners at Southeast Seventh Street and Federal Highway, said her business takes a hit every time the road closes.
“We are a little bit slow this morning because of the traffic,” she said. “They keep pushing and pushing and pushing it back. It is just crazy.”
While Wells, other business owners, drivers and residents all want the project completed, Local 10 News asked officials why the completion date continues to be pushed back.
The project manager said that post-pandemic supply chain issues and unexpected weather and flooding made it difficult for crews to stay on schedule.
Their hope is this will be the last time they will have to shut down traffic before construction is completed.
“I am hoping they know what they are doing,” Pedicelli sad. “That is what we pay them for, no?”
The project manager said completion is now targeted for May.
Detour route: