Construction continues to progress on the I-395 Signature Bridge, a 1,025-foot-long, six-arch structure spanning NE 2nd Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami. Designed by Donald MacDonald Architects with HDR serving as engineer of record for the bridge and I-395 roadways, the structure is being built by the Archer Western-de Moya Group joint venture. The bridge forms part of the broader I-395/S.R. 836/I-95 reconstruction project, undertaken by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Greater Miami Expressway Agency.
According i395-Miami/Miami Connecting September 2 update, accompanying drone footage documents ongoing arch and roadway work. Arches 1, 2, 4, and 5 are now closed, while crews continue constructing the first of three cast-in-place structural elements for each of the remaining arches, numbered 3 and 6. Work on the westbound Signature Bridge superstructure is advancing concurrently, with falsework, formwork, reinforcing steel installation, and concrete pours continuing beneath the arch framework.
The bridge’s design, known as The Fountain, features six arches converging at a central pier. According to HDR, the largest arch rises approximately 325 feet above the ground and spans 650 feet. The roadway will be carried by twin cast-in-place concrete box girders suspended from the arches by stay cables. Temporary falsework supports the roadway structures during construction, with their weight ultimately transferred to the arches through the cable system.
Progress on the remaining arches follows the completion of a substantial foundation pour for Arch 6, documented in a July update. Located adjacent to the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, the foundation measures 120 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 16 feet deep. Approximately 3,672 cubic yards of concrete were delivered by 408 trucks and placed using four concrete pumps, with a fifth on standby. Crews also installed more than 30,000 feet of tubing to circulate chilled water through the concrete and control temperatures during curing.
Elsewhere along I-395, crews are constructing a pedestrian bridge over the Florida East Coast Railway tracks and retaining walls that will connect the westbound Signature Bridge roadway deck to the MacArthur Causeway. Additional operations include drainage installation near North Bayshore Drive and NE 13th Street, precast roadway segment installation along NW 14th Street, and column construction and bridge beam installation between NW 1st Avenue and I-95.
The broader reconstruction encompasses approximately 1.4 miles of I-395 between the Midtown Interchange and the MacArthur Causeway. The rebuilt highway will provide three through lanes in each direction, along with separate connector ramps serving I-95. The project includes relocating the eastbound exit ramps from NE 2nd Avenue to North Miami Avenue and shifting the westbound entrance ramps from NE 1st Avenue to west of North Miami Avenue.
To the west, the project includes a double-decked section of S.R. 836 extending from near NW 17th Avenue through the interchange. The elevated roadway will provide a direct connection toward the MacArthur Causeway, while the existing roadway below will accommodate local entry and exit movements. Improvements along I-95 extend from NW 8th Street to NW 29th Street and include concrete pavement replacement and ramp modifications.
The official project website currently lists an overall cost of $866 million. However, there have been reports of higher costs. The project aims to reconstruct the entire I-395/S.R. 836/I-95 corridor and is expected to be completed in late 2029.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
This is awesome
It’s going to look amazing 😍