BOCA RATON, Fla. — After close to two years of construction, the new diverging diamond interchange is scheduled to open Monday morning at Glades Road and Interstate 95 in Boca Raton.
To facilitate the implementation of the new design, the Florida Department of Transportation said all access to and from Glades Road at I-95 will be restricted this weekend.
The interchange will reopen in the new configuration at 6 a.m. Monday.
A diverging diamond interchange allows the two directions of traffic on the roadway to temporarily cross to the opposite side of the road, according to FDOT.
Check out this drive-through of the upcoming #DDI at Glades Road/I-95! To drive straight through, proceed through the traffic light. Your lane will guide you to the opposite side of the road. Before crossing back to the right side of the road, you will pass another traffic light. pic.twitter.com/9Cg7hm1VND
— FDOT District 4 (@MyFDOT_SEFL) January 24, 2023
This limits the number of traffic signal phases and allows drivers to make a left turn without crossing in front of oncoming traffic. The lanes then change back to the right side of the road.
RELATED: FDOT addresses concerns over major road project on Glades Road in Boca Raton
FDOT said the benefits of this type of interchange include improved traffic operations, increased safety and enhanced accessibility for all drivers.
Construction on the project began on Glades Road in March 2021 with roadway widening, drainage, bridge widenings and retrofit over I-95 and Military Trail, and the construction of new ramps and a dedicated median pedestrian bridge.
FDOT said additional project improvements include the following:
- Installation of new drainage structures, lighting and utilities
- Wrong-way driving countermeasures
- 18 new signal mast arms
- Five new overhead sign structures
- Construction of pedestrian pathways
- Two 7-foot bike lanes on either side of the road
Law enforcement will be at the site this weekend from 11 p.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily for the first two weeks after implementation to ensure that drivers are following the new traffic pattern.
REMINDER - beginning TOMORROW night at 11PM❗️
— City of Boca Raton (@CityBocaRaton) January 26, 2023
ALL access to and from Glades Road at I-95 will be CLOSED beginning Friday, Jan. 27 at 11pm through Monday, Jan. 30 at 6am for the implementation of FDOT's new Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) at Glades Road & I-95.
1/2- NEXT pic.twitter.com/Q2etGpO35a
The diverging diamond configuration is a relatively new traffic flow design for American drivers, first implemented on a roadway in Springfield, Missouri, in 2009.
Since then, there are more than 150 of these types of interchanges now open to traffic throughout the U.S, with more under construction.
The innovative design has been praised for reducing injury and fatal crashes by up to 55%, according to 2021 study.
FDOT said they project a 33% crash reduction at the interchange once the diverging diamond configuration takes effect.
The new interchange is part of an I-95 express phase project that FDOT started in November 2019 with a price tag of $148 million.
Click here for more frequently asked questions about the new design.
