WGI was the Lead Designer/Enineer of Record for this Design-Build project which realigned approximately 0.75 miles of Dixie Highway from south of Hillsboro Boulevard in Broward County to north of the Hillsboro Canal in Palm Beach County. WGI designed the 1,400-foot flyover bridge which carries a four-lane divided urban arterial over the Hillsboro Canal, NE 2nd Avenue, Florida East Coast Railway (FEC), North River Avenue, NE 1st Avenue, and NE 2nd Street. WGI’s design eliminated many conflicts, including an at-grade crossing of FEC tracks. The project also included a pedestrian pathway structure and an offramp structure from Dixie Highway to NE 2nd Avenue.

Maintenance of traffic was crucial since the area includes an FEC track, the Hillsboro Canal (a navigable waterway), businesses, homes, and vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. WGI’s traffic control plan safely moved traffic through active work zones, adequately informed motorists of changing traffic patterns, and minimized the number of construction phases.

Other improvements included new stormwater management facilities, utility relocation, decorative lighting, new signalization equipment at Hillsboro Boulevard, upgrades to two at-grade crossings of the FEC Railroad tracks, and landscape enhancements. Since Dixie Highway is a hurricane evacuation route, WGI created a detailed hurricane evacuation plan.

The project received the 2012 Class II Project of the Year Award from the Steel Erectors Association of America, the 2013 Grand Award from the Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers (FICE), the 2013 FICE/FDOT Project of the Year Award, the 2013 FTBA Best in Construction Award, and the 2013 FICE Grand Conceptor Award.

Drainage:

In the proposed condition, runoff from the site was to be routed via storm sewers to proposed stormwater management systems for treatment and attenuation. The system was designed to meet the criteria of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and Palm Beach and Broward counties. The proposed project was divided into eleven major drainage basins which equals the pre-development drainage basin area of 71 acres. Major basin divides were established with nine basins south of the Hillsboro Canal (in Broward County) and two basins north of the Hillsboro Canal (in Palm Beach County).