NORTH MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) — Traffic officials said new, more durable poles will be installed closer together along the express lanes of Interstate 95 in an effort to deter drivers from weaving in and out of those lanes.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Joe Sanchez held up one of the new poles as he conveyed law enforcers’ commitment to help prevent dangerous driving on the highway. “It is paramount to make sure that all motorists using I-95 respect the law to make sure that, if you see one of these, you don’t cross over them into the express lanes,” he said.
On Wednesday, FDOT crews will begin installing the plastic poles to better divide the express lanes in an attempt to stop what is knows as “lane diving.” “These delineators, orange poles, are gonna be twice as close,” said FDOT spokesperson James Wolfe.
The space between each pole will be reduced from 10 feet to five feet apart. Crews will be installing the poles at night, and officials said the endeavor will take about 10 weeks to complete.
Wolfe said troopers will aggressively enforce traffic laws along the express lanes. “If people persist in crossing these barriers, which is a clear statement that they shouldn’t be there, they’re going to get a ticket,” he said. “There’s going to be enforcement, and FHP is going to do that.”
There will also be wider shoulders on the express lanes, helping both law enforcement and motorists if they need to stop. “These two actions, beefing up the delineators, plastic poles, and creating emergency stopping areas for disabled vehicles and ticketing, are going to improve safety on I-95,” said Wolfe.
Construction of the wider shoulders is expected to begin in January and will be completed in about a year.
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