Downtown Miami is getting a new Signature Bridge with a park underneath called The Underdeck, and we are now getting our first view of what the space under the bridge will look like.
A photo of the area under the bridge was uploaded to Twitter by Better Streets Miami Beach, which criticized its construction and noted that it is now at “just a fraction of the total width.”
Advocates of the bridge say that the new highway span will be as much as 44 feet higher than the current I-395 bridge, creating more light and open space. There will also be a reduction in columns from 800 to 200.
The area under the bridge is planned to include park space, instead of the current surface parking.
A second place proposal for the bridge called dancers would have removed several earthen plugs that block pedestrian access, including one that would have opened up access between the Arsht Center and Museum Park. It was controversially rejected by FDOT.
Another plan would have buried the highway entirely, but was rejected after studies showed it would have cost nearly three times as much.
Plans for The Underdeck still have not been finalized, according to Miami Today. Design is ongoing and a concept plan is expected in mid-2021.