Florida Department Of Transportation (FDOT) has awarded the Archer Western-de Moya Joint Venture, the contractors for Downtown Miami's $800 million Signature Bridge, a Notice To Proceed. The final chosen design known as The Fountain and will be the new gateway to Miami Beach, transforming I-395 and the entry to MacAruthur Causeway. The initiative will build a 55-acre park, known as Heritage Trail, under the bridge, as well as changes to State Road 836 including adding a lane and building Miami's first double-deck highway. The construction timeline is 4 years.
The Signature Bridge project has had its fair share of drama. In an April 2018 hearing, the State of Florida Division of Administration Hearing ruled in favor of FDOT after bridge advocate and former Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff filed a lawsuit alleging that FDOT violated their 2013 settlement agreement via their handling of bids to design and build the bridge by manipulating scoring to allow the Archer Western and The de Moya Group's proposal to win. In May 2018 a Judge ruled in favor of FDOT to allow them proceed with the winning design.
