Port of Miami Tunnel ? Miami

Port of Miami Tunnel ? Miami
The Port of Miami Tunnel, opened last month, provides direct access to the Miami Seaport, and was built to to mitigate traffic and promote economic development in the region. Liz Fernandez, the project?s public information specialist, says local geology, proximity to the coast and low surface elevation have historically made large underground tunneling projects in South Florida a challenge. ?The Port of Miami Tunnel is a unique project,? she says, ?with many technological firsts.?
At 42 feet in diameter, the Port of Miami Tunnel used the largest tunnel-boring machine ever deployed in North America, and the tunnel boring machine shafts are the deepest supported excavations to date in South Florida.
The project consists of three total components, according to Fernandez: the twin tunnels bored beneath Government Cut, a man-made shipping channel between Miami Beach and Fisher Island; multiple connections to the PortMiami roadway system; and the widening of the MacArthur Causeway Bridge.
With a design and construction cost of $667 million, the project involved numerous public and private agencies, locally and nationally. Public funding partners included the Florida Department of Transportation, which contributed 50 percent of the capital costs. Miami-Dade County contributed $402.5 million, and Miami contributed $50 million. The Florida DOT will handle operations and maintenance costs of the tunnel.
The private side of the project, or the Miami Access Tunnel Concessionaire?s Team, is comprised of Bouygues Civil Works Florida (the design-build contractor) and Transfield Services Infrastructure (the tunnel operator). These companies employed subcontractors for the design and construction process. Private funding sources included loans, equities and federal transportation infrastructure grants.