Drivers using the Palmetto Expressway are complaining about a new construction project they say is a safety hazard catching them off-guard.
There’s no signage or warnings about steel plates protruding from the road at the on-ramp from SR-826 north going to the I-75 ramp toward Naples. With construction on an interchange project at the Palmetto and I-75, there’s a new obstacle for drivers forcing them to pump the brakes and abruptly slow down. Chopper6 recorded from above as vehicles bounced as they crossed over the huge steel plates with orange edges.
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WATCH HERESome drivers call them dangerous. One driver told NBC6 he almost got in an accident Wednesday night.
“I would say they are like 2 or 3 inches high, you know, out of the ground," Gajuanza Mitchell said. "They’re not all into the ground, so if someone has a very low car, like a lot of people do, it could cause a significant amount of damage to the vehicle."
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Mitchell says he drives in that spot all the time going to Doral from Fort Lauderdale. He just noticed the plates at the on-ramp.
“I felt bumps. First bump, I felt I thought I hit something, and next thing you know, there’s a tractor-trailer on the side of me. I almost lost control of the vehicle because of the steel plates in the road,” Mitchell said.
Chopper6 found three sets of steel plates yards apart from each other. The Florida Department of Transportation says it's developing the design for an interchange project at the ramps. FDOT will replace the joints along two bridges, widen a ramp, repave and restripe the road, upgrade the guardrail, and replace pavement markings.
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Mitchell says the state should do more to alert drivers about the steel plates.
“If you guys are going to be putting some kind of objects on the road for whatever reason, we need to be informed, because if something happens to our vehicles, you guys aren’t going to pay for it. That damage will be on us,” Mitchell said.
NBC6 checked with FDOT about the plates.
“Crews began performing joint replacements in this area last Monday. During the day, steel plates are placed over the expansion joints for coverage. Drivers may feel a slight bump when passing over these plates, but they are securely fastened using plate locks," FDOT said in a statement to NBC6. "We have also implemented additional safety measures, including extra bolts and neoprene padding, to ensure the plates remain tightly sealed and secure. The plates will be in place for the next 45 days, notwithstanding any impacts from the weather or unforeseen conditions, while this work is being done. We’d like to remind the traveling public to always be safe and remain alert while driving in construction zones.”
