Highway I-95 Express in Miami, built by FCC, received the 2010 Best in Construction award in the Design and Construction category from the Florida Transportation Builders Association (FTBA).

This award was given to FCC for its timeliness, relationship with the community, accident avoidance and contractor quality and innovation, in the views of a committee on which the Florida Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sat. The award will be handed over to FCC on 6 August at the FTBA’s annual convention.

The 121.5-million-dollar project called for the widening of the roadways of highway I-95 in both directions along a stretch measuring 17.7 kilometres north of the Miami metropolitan area. The goal was to expand from one HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lane to two HOT (high-occupancy toll) lanes, with the same number of non-toll lanes (three to five, depending on the section).

The contract also included the installation of ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) communication systems and the toll systems, plus the enlargement of several existing structures in the environs of the main junction, the connection work for the different junctions and the construction of fresh road surface.

This highway has an innovative traffic management system that uses express lanes to allow drivers to go faster and avoid the traffic clogging up regular lanes by paying a toll that varies according to the speed of the other lanes’ vehicles.

If the speed in the other lanes is lower (during peak hours), the toll is raised, and if the other lanes are moving faster, the toll is lowered. Speed is measured by traffic management cameras that automatically find the change in the toll. To use these barrier-free toll lanes, drivers require a device, the Sunpass, which is automatically read and allows drivers to pay without having to stop at a toll station.

In August 2009 I-95 also received an America’s Transportation Award for Innovative Management from SASHTO, the southeastern regional section of AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.