Dixie Highway Reconstruction Environmental Services

This Design-Build project involved the realignment of Dixie Highway from south of Hillsboro Boulevard in Broward County to north of the Hillsboro Canal in Palm Beach County, approximately 0.75 miles. The realignment of Dixie Highway bridges the Hillsboro Canal, NE 2nd Avenue, Florida East Coast Railway, North River Avenue, NE 1st Avenue and NE 2nd Street. Wantman Group, Inc. prepared construction documents and prepared permit applications for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department (BCEPGMD) to perform the desired construction. These included multiple bridge permits, a Stormwater Management System (SWMS) permit, Section 404 Dredge & Fill permit and a Sovereign Submerged Lands Easement (SSLE). The firm provided construction phase services to ensure the contractor constructed the project in accordance with the construction documents. Environmental consulting services were provided through the terrestrial and aquatic Endangered Species surveys required to obtain the necessary permits. Wetland delineations were performed for both the Broward County and Palm Beach County sides of the project, as well as a Submerged Aquatic Resource survey. These resulted in obtaining permits from the BCEPGMD, SFWMD and USACE for minor mangrove impacts and the relocation of approximately 0.030 acres of oyster beds out of the proposed dredging area. Consultation with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service was conducted during the permitting phase in relation to potential impacts to the Florida manatee, Small toothed sawfish and multiple sea turtle species. As a result of the project’s wetland impacts, the firm also coordinated mitigation for the Florida Department of Transportation at the Eller Drive Mitigation Area.