Florida Department of

TRANSPORTATION

I-95 at 45th Street Interchange Design Project

About the Project:

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) conducted a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the SR 9/I-95 Interchange at 45th Street in Palm Beach County, Florida. The purpose of the study was to identify the short-term and long term needs of I-95 and develop design concepts to address traffic spillback onto I-95, improve interchange operations, reduce congestion, and increase safety at the study interchange. This study also considered Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) connector improvements needed within the project area and is consistent with plans for the I-95 mainline, including the potential extension of I-95 Express lanes through Palm Beach County. This proposed study investigated alternatives to improve the overall operating conditions and enhance safety within the interchange.

The 45th Street interchange of I-95 is a diamond interchange located in City of West Palm Beach, near the Town of Mangonia Park and the City of Riviera Beach in north Palm Beach County, Florida. The intersections in the area of influence of the interchange are Village Boulevard and Northpoint Boulevard on the west and Corporate Way and N. Congress Avenue on the east. The adjacent interchanges are Blue Heron Boulevard interchange to the north (1.75 miles) and the Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard interchange to the south (2.80 miles). I-95 is a ten-lane divided interstate freeway providing four general purpose lanes and one high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction. Auxiliary lanes are provided on both the northbound and southbound directions between 45th Street and Blue Heron Boulevard to the north. Within the study segment, I-95 passes over 45th Street on a bridge that accommodates ten lanes. I-95 is a designated Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) highway corridor. Both I-95 and 45th Street are designated as evacuation routes. 45th Street is a six-lane divided roadway with a raised landscaped median within the vicinity of the I-95 interchange. There are two dedicated left-turn lanes in each direction to access the I-95 on-ramps and three through lanes in each direction. A single free-flow right-turn lane is provided on both eastbound and westbound along 45th Street to serve the I-95 on-ramps.

The land use adjacent to the interchange is mainly residential, commercial, institutional and industrial. Commercial and industrial uses are predominant on the west side of I-95, while commercial and healthcare properties are along the east side of I-95. The South Florida Rail Corridor (SFRC)/CSX Railroad passes under I-95 in this area approximately one mile northwest of the 45th Street interchange.

PROJECT NEED

The purpose of this project is to enhance overall traffic operations at the existing interchange of I-95 and 45th Street by providing improvements to achieve acceptable Levels of Service (LOS) at the interchange in the future condition (2040 Design Year). LOS is a function of the average time vehicles will be delayed at the intersections. Conditions along 45th Street are anticipated to deteriorate below acceptable LOS standards if no improvements occur by 2040; the interchange will have insufficient capacity to accommodate the projected travel demand.

Enhancements include improving safety conditions by providing additional through and turn lanes, as well as interchange ramp improvements, to help reduce conflict points and the potential occurrence of collisions at the interchange; accommodating future growth and development in the area; and enhancing the emergency evacuation and response time by enhancing connectivity and accessibility along I-95 and 45th Street and increasing the operational capacity of traffic that can be evacuated during an emergency event.