State Route 836 in Florida

According to biotionary.com, State Route 836 or State Road 836 (SR-836), called the Dolphin East-West Expressway, is a state route and toll road in the U.S. state of Florida. The highway forms an east-west connection in the Miami metropolitan area and runs from the western suburbs to downtown Miami, where State Road 836 becomes Interstate 395. State Road 836 is 14 miles long.

Travel directions

It stacks between SR-826 and SR-836 at Miami International Airport.

The SR-836 to I-395.

State Road 836 begins at Tamiami on NW 137th Avenue, on the western edge of the Miami Region metro area. The highway initially has 2×2 lanes and soon has a junction with State Road 821 (Homestead Extension), after which the highway has 2×4 lanes, plus bus lanes on the left. Six kilometers east, there is a large stack interchange with State Road 826 (Palmetto Expressway). The highway then runs along the south side of Miami International Airport and has 4 to 5 lanes in each direction in addition to the bus lanes on the left hard shoulder. The bus lanes end after State Road 9, after this the highway has 2×3 lanes and goes with a high bridge over the Miami River, after which a junction with Interstate 95 follows. State Road 836 then becomes Interstate 395 to Miami Beach.

History

Construction history

In the 1960s, Miami began to grow further west. In 1964, the first plans for an east-west highway through Miami were made, originally under the name 20th Street Tollway. Construction began in 1967 on the 12-kilometer section between the Palmetto Expressway and US 1 in Miami, which opened in 1969. In 1974, a four-mile extension westward opened to the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike. This completed most of the highway.

In 1968 there were plans to make the Dolphin Expressway part of I-75, at the time it was planned to build I-75 via US 41 between Naples and Miami. Under this plan, I-75 would run through the Dolphin Expressway to I-95. In 1973, however, it was decided to build I-75 through the Everglades via Alligator Alley to the north.

In 2004, the extension of the highway to NW 137th Avenue began. This section opened to traffic on June 22, 2007.

Opening history

Naming

The highway was named in 1974 after the Miami Dolphins, a Miami football team that had previously won the Super Bowl twice.

Widenings

Between 2010 and 2016, the interchange with the Palmetto Expressway was converted to a full stack. In 2017-2018, the cloverleaf with NW 27th Avenue was reconstructed into a diverging diamond interchange. The DDI opened to traffic on August 13, 2018. As part of the reconstruction of these interchanges, nearly all of State Road 836 has been widened to 2×5 lanes between the Homestead Extension and NW 17th Avenue.

express bus

State Road 836 has a bus lane in both directions on the left side of the highway. Unlike elsewhere in the United States, this is not an HOV lane, but is only for buses traveling from the Dolphin Mall to Downtown Miami. The express bus was put into service on March 4, 2020.

Future

In time, it is planned to extend the highway approximately 18 kilometers to SW 136th Street west of Kendall. It is to connect to a planned extension of the Don Shula Expressway. This extension opens up the only area in the region where substantial expansion of the urban area is still possible. On September 21, 2021, the Florida cabinet voted to build the toll road.

The easternmost portion of State Road 836 across the Miami River to the interchange with I-95 and I-395 has 2×3 lanes remaining and is one of the major bottlenecks in the Miami area. Nearly 160,000 vehicles drive on the 2×3 lanes every day. It is planned to completely reconstruct the interchange, improving the easternmost section of State Road 836 as well. Work started in 2018 and should be completed by the end of 2024.

Toll

The highway is a toll road operated by the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, and originally had an open toll system, allowing toll-free travel on some connections. On November 15, 2014, a new electronic toll system was introduced that requires payment on all connections, and toll rates have also been increased.

Traffic intensities

The intensities below are to the east of the relevant connection.