The $1 billion PortMiami Tunnel Project is nearing completion.
"It is kind of like finishing up your kitchen remodeling job. We are down to the kind of surface you're going to put on top of the kitchen cabinets," said Chris Hodgkins, Vice President of Miami Access Tunnel, the company that is building the project.
Hodgkins is vice president of Miami Access Tunnel, the company in charge of the construction.
"We are going to open this baby up in May and we are going to have traffic coming through," Hodgkins said. "Right now, we are on time, on schedule and on budget."
A tour of the twin tunnels reveals that the workers are in the process of adhering fire proof panels on the tunnel sides and asphalt is being laid on the roadway. When open, the twin tubes will sport shiny tile walls and two lanes within the northbound and southbound tunnels.
The tunnels will connect the MacArthur Causeway with PortMiami. The project will bring cargo carrying 18-wheelers and cruise ship passengers into the port in a more efficient manner. For years the trucks have caused traffic problems in downtown Miami as they wound their way through the heart of the city to the port.
The project is also expected to enhance the port in anticipation of the arrival of super cargo ships that will be able to navigate the enlarged Panama Canal.
