Traffic Management

Express Lanes

The 95 Express is providing motorists with reliable travel options and improved trip times along northbound Interstate 95 (I-95). The northbound lanes currently extend from State Road 112 (SR 112) to the Golden Glades Interchange in Miami-Dade County, while the southbound lanes extend from just south of Miami Gardens Drive to just north of State Road 836 (SR 836). The express lanes are separated from the general purpose lanes with plastic poles throughout the stretch of the project.

Traffic managers at the SunGuide® Transportation Management Center (TMC) operate the 95 Express 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Operations staff uses Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies and related computer software to monitor toll collection and manage the number of vehicles that enter the lanes according to actual traffic conditions. Toll rates vary, and fluctuate throughout the day to keep the 95 Express from becoming congested, and typically range from 75¢ to $3.50, but can go higher during unusual circumstances. The goal is to keep the express lanes operating at free-flow speeds to optimize the number of vehicles that move through the facility at all times. Since toll collection began on December 2008, average speeds on the regular local lanes have increased during peak travel periods.

This improvement has been enhanced by the incident management procedures that have been implemented to support the 95 Express. Traffic managers at the TMC coordinate with responders to provide faster clearance times of travel lane blocking events such as crashes, debris or disabled vehicles. They coordinate and dispatch the appropriate resources, such as Road Ranger Service Patrols, to manage these incidents and restore the highway back to its regular operating conditions.

The 95 Express project is an example of how the ITS Program is helping traffic managers improve mobility on existing highway systems, like I-95. ITS technologies are providing our roadways with meaningful congestion relief at comparatively lower costs and within shorter time frames than traditional widen-only type projects. Phase 2 of the 95 Express Project, which will extend the facility from its current location into Broward County, is set to begin construction in 2011 with a tentative completion date of late 2013.


For more information about the 95 Express project, click here.