H&H provided engineering design services for the replacement of the NW South River Drive Bridge. The new single-leaf bascule bridge and control house designs addressed traffic, structural, hydraulic and aesthetic deficiencies and future needs by providing a 90-foot navigation channel, four traffic lanes and 12- and six-foot sidewalks.
Constructed circa 1921, the Historic Tamiami Canal Swing Bridge was one of the oldest bridges on the Miami River system. Due to its age and deteriorated condition, the original bridge was classified as “structurally deficient” and “functionally obsolete”. The navigation and hydraulic channel constriction at the existing bridge was identified by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) as an impediment to flow with potential for raised flood stages upstream. The new bridge needed to provide a better flow of this controlled waterway.
Located east of the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) and the Miami International Airport (MIA), the Tamiami Canal Bridge is one of two north-south crossings over the Tamiami Canal and is part of the roadway network to the Port of Miami. The project is also a component of the proposed “on-road” greenway and Miami River Corridor Multi-modal Transportation Plan which links proposed waterside pedestrian and bicycle facilities and provides connectivity between the MIC and the Greenway.
The through-truss “bob-tailed” swing bridge was considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since this bridge type is not common in Florida. The original swing span was relocated in its entirety to its final resting place at Comfort Canal Park to be used as a park pedestrian bridge.
Bridge Opening Celebration will be May 9th, 2019
