By Sharon Aron Baron
More lanes on the Sawgrass Expressway may be store in the future.

Through a series of projects, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, part of the Florida Department of Transportation, plans to widen the Sawgrass Expressway from south of Sunrise Boulevard, through Tamarac, Coral Springs, Parkland to 441 in Coconut Creek.

This will provide additional capacity to meet future traffic demand in 2045, improve hurricane evacuation times, and improve safety within the corridor. 

The Atlantic Boulevard Interchange Improvements project will be the first segment of the series to be constructed.

Between the north of Commercial Boulevard to the north of Atlantic Boulevard, the area is prioritized to improve the drainage capacity and address flooding concerns along Atlantic Boulevard and the Sawgrass Expressway ramps, including the reconstruction of the Atlantic Boulevard Interchange.

Additional safety and operational improvements are proposed along Atlantic Boulevard, including incorporating bike lanes in both directions from the west of Atlantic Blvd. Interchange to Lakeview Drive and NW 122nd St in the eastbound direction. 

There are no access changes proposed along Atlantic Boulevard.

Within the limits of the project, the Sawgrass Expressway will be widened to accommodate ten 12-foot travel lanes — five in each direction a 12-foot outside shoulder, a 15-foot inside shoulder, and a 32-foot median with a barrier wall (15-foot inside shoulders and a 2-foot barrier wall) at the Atlantic Boulevard interchange area. 

Since this is the first segment being constructed to accommodate ten lanes, only six lanes will be striped for use until the adjacent segments of the Sawgrass Expressway are constructed.

On Thursday, July 15, 2021, the meeting is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Sunrise-Sawgrass Mills, Seminole Ballroom, located at 13400 West Sunrise Boulevard, Sunrise, FL 33323.

If the meeting cannot be held due to inclement weather, it will be held on the alternate date of July 27, 2021, at the same time and location. 

To participate in the public information meeting in-person, the Department requests advance registration to help ensure attendees are accommodated safely following current social distancing guidelines. Please visit the project website at FloridasTurnpike.com/Sawgrass-Atlantic or email at Teresa Price Teresa.Price@dot.state.fl.us to register for the in-person option. 

Persons wishing to submit public comments or questions by contacting Teresa Price using the contact information provided above or below.

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