Sawgrass Interchange
{{Short description|Highway interchange in Sunrise, Florida, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox road junction
|country=USA
|name=Sawgrass Interchange
|other_names=
|image=File:Sawgrass-Int595-Int75-Overpasses-FaceEast-Aug2013 (26252143488).jpg
|image_caption=The Sawgrass Interchange, looking east
|maint=FDOT
|location=Sunrise, Florida
|coord={{coord|26.119889|-80.345959|region:US_type:landmark|display= inline,title|name= Sawgrass Interchange}}
|roads=
- {{jct|state=FL|I|75}}
- {{jct|state=FL|I|595}}
- {{jct|state=FL|Toll|869}}
- {{jct|state=FL|SR|84}}
|type=Stack interchange
|const=1986–1989
|opened=1989
|height=
|spans=70
}}
The Sawgrass Interchange is a large highway interchange in Sunrise, Florida, United States.
History
The Sawgrass Interchange was built between 1986 and 1989.{{Cite web |title = I-75 / I-595 Sawgrass Interchange |url = https://www.corveneng.com/i-75-i-595-sawgrass-interchange |access-date = December 21, 2023 |publisher = Corven Engineering |language = en }}{{Cite news |date = December 25, 1989 |title = I-595-Sawgrass Interchange Nears Completion |url = https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1989/12/25/i-595-sawgrass-interchange-nears-completion/ |access-date = December 21, 2023 |newspaper = Sun Sentinel |location = Deerfield Beach, Florida |language = en-US |url-access = subscription }} The interchange opened in late 1989. The interchange was constructed at a cost of $52 million (1989 USD). At the time of its opening, the interchange was the largest in Florida.{{Cite web |title = I-75/I-595/Sawgrass Expressway Interchange |url = https://www.bergeronlanddev.com/i75-i595-sawgrass-interchange/ |access-date = December 21, 2023 |publisher = Bergeron Land Development |language = en-US }}
In 2023, there was widespread concern when a social media post, which erroneously claimed that one of the interchange's bridges was structurally unsound because of a visible gap, went viral.{{Cite news |first = Dani |last = Medina |date = July 18, 2023 |title = 'Gaps' in Florida bridge are normal, FDOT says |url = https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/gaps-in-florida-bridge-are-normal-fdot-says |access-date = December 21, 2023 |website = FOX 35 Orlando |location = Orlando, Florida |publisher = WOFL-TV |language = en-US }}{{Cite web |date = July 17, 2023 |title = Concerns over possible crack on I-595 and Sawgrass Interchange bridge |url = https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/concerns-about-possible-gap-on-south-florida-highway/ |access-date = December 21, 2023 |website = CBS Miami |location = Miami, Florida |publisher = WFOR-TV |language = en-US }} The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) inspected the bridge and found no structural defects; the "gap" was normal and intentionally constructed when the bridge was built in the 1980s, being the location of one of the bridge's expansion joints.
Description
The Sawgrass Interchange is a large stack interchange. It serves as the junction point for three major expressways in South Florida: Interstate 75 (I-75), I-595 (the Port Everglades Expressway), and State Road 869 (SR 869, Sawgrass Expressway). SR 84 also travels through the interchange.
The interchange also serves as both the western terminus I-595 and the southern terminus of SR 869, both of which merge into I-75. It also serves as the eastern terminus of Alligator Alley.
= Design =
The Sawgrass Interchange consists of several bridges and 70 bridge spans—all of which are made of precast segmental concrete; the bridge spans range from {{Convert|120|to|200|ft|m}} and were constructed with 1,366 precast box girder segments.{{Cite book |last = Tang |first = M. C. |last2 = Bellevue |first2 = L. |last3 = Towell |first3 = P. J. |last4 = Algner |first4 = E. |date = 1990 |chapter = Construction of the I-75/I-595 Interchange, Broward County, Florida |chapter-url = https://trid.trb.org/view/695684 |title = Developments in Short and Medium Span Bridge Engineering: Third International Conference on Short and Medium Span Bridges |location = Toronto |publisher = Canadian Society For Civil Engineering |pages = 413–421 |isbn = 978-0-921303-14-5 }} The stack interchange occupies an area of approximately {{Convert|550|acre|ha}}.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Sawgrass Interchange}}
Category:Road interchanges in Florida
Category:Transportation in South Florida