A project to improve conditions on Riverside Drive, from Atlantic Boulevard to NE 14th Street Causeway, is moving forward after years of planning.
The city commission, at its July 26 meeting, approved on first reading a $699,762 contract with Marlin Engineering, the firm that will design the streetscape improvements.
In 2020, the Broward County Commission selected the project to receive full funding for the design costs. The money will come from the one-penny voter-approved county surtax for transportation improvements. In addition, $5.2 million in surtax money has been set aside for the project’s construction and will become available to the city in the future.
According to Horacio Danovich, the city’s consultant, one of the key goals of the Riverside Drive improvement project is to realign the road to provide more buffer space between the travel lanes and private parking or driveways. The project will also address the lack of sidewalks, particularly along the east side of the road. Landscaping and lighting will be enhanced, and intersections will include features to encourage lower speeds.
The project will attempt to address severe ponding conditions that occur when there’s substantial rain. It will also endeavor to implement technologies to help manage sea-level rise in the future.
There is not enough room for separate bike lanes on Riverside Drive, but the design team will try to integrate them with the roadway itself, as long as it doesn’t create an unsafe condition, which will be determined during a traffic analysis.
The design process is anticipated to start on or about Oct. 1, and should take 15 months to complete, said Danovich.
Marlin Engineering will design the roadway and help the city manage the project as it moves forward with construction. Marlin Engineering was selected in 2020, but the city couldn’t execute a contract with the firm until now, due to a lengthy process with the county for procuring the surtax money.
Marlin Engineering will hold a public outreach meeting as part of its scope of work. The city commission will confirm its approval of the contract with Marlin Engineering in a second vote scheduled for its Sept. 13 meeting.
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