FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Officials are temporarily closing The Henry E. Kinney Tunnel in Downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Starting on Monday, July 18, workers will close U.S. 1, between Southeast Seventh Street and Broward Boulevard. The area will reopen on Friday, July 22.
”We scheduled this to come in the middle of the summer: People are on vacation, school is out, so its traveled less by people so the impact will be less on the community,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis adding, “It doesn’t have to bee a week of pain. It’s just finding an alternate route.”
Signs will alert drivers to the temporary detour.
The closure will allow work on an ongoing $28.4 million project to extend the tunnel by 20 feet. Officials said this will enhance safety and communication mechanisms within the structure and allow for the construction of a new large pedestrian plaza on top of the tunnel.
“It’s necessary for a total closure because when you’re picking up 44-ton beams with one crane you don’t want anyone near the site just in case anything may happen,” said Eric Pineras, a project administrator.
Next week, on Wednesday and Thursday, workers plan to close Las Olas Boulevard between Southeast Fifth and Eighth avenues.