$800 Million "The Fountain" Chosen as Winning Design for Signature Bridge

“The Fountain” has been chosen as the winning design for the $800 million Signature Bridge project in downtown Miami. The selection was made by FDOT which controversially shunned public opinion. The winning concept, which was inspired by Miami's location serving as a gateway to South America, came from a joint venture team led by Archer Western- de Moya. The bridge would feature color changing LED's on the cables and arches and will feature a 55-acre public park beneath which will be known as Heritage Trail. Construction will begin in late 2017 with completion estimated in 2022 but a formal protest from the 2nd place team which lost by a mere 1/2 point may delay the project. The press release states:

"The Fountain concept was inspired by Miami’s world renowned status as the center of the Americas. Miami has been influenced in its development and growth by various regions throughout the United States, the Carribean, as well as Central and South America due to its position as the Gateway City. In 1930, Pan American Airways established Miami as its worldwide headquarters with its terminal at the current City Hall, and provided the initial links that opened up the potential of Miami’s waterfront to all of the Americas. The Fountain’s design symbolizes these influences similar to an “airline map” depicting the curved travel paths to and from the central city of Miami.

The Fountain was aptly named to signify Miami’s connection to the water that began several thousand years ago with the Tequesta Indians and continues to this day with the tens of millions of visitors that make Miami their warm weather destination for the sun, beach, cruises, vibrant nightlife, and culture. The bridge is designed using contextual metaphors drawn from the region’s tropical and urban environments. The overall vision for this signature bridge is to emphasize the essence of Miami as a center for the Arts, with this structure as its nexus, making it a focal point of civic life for all Miamians, and what will become the heart of Miami for our children and grand-children.

The Fountain Bridge also provides vast open spaces below the bridge allowing for the development of our proposed Heritage Walk. Heritage Walk memorializes Miami’s history including the original Tequesta Indian inhabitants, Julia Tuttle and Henry Flagler, the original African American settlers to Overtown, the Cuban immigration, and Miami’s status as a global city with limitless potential through culture, art, and bold imagery."

Final Design for Miami Signature Bridge Proposal Chosen, Approved, to be Announced May 1

The Florida Department of Transportation has made the final decisions after sifting through proposals for Downtown Miami's new Signature Bridge and will release the chosen design on May 1. Miami's Signature Bridge will serve as a gateway to MacArthur Causeway and South Beach. The top ranked team include DB Firm Archer Western – de Moya JV along with Archer Western Contractors, LLC, The de Moya Group, Inc. and team members:

• HDR
• RS&H
• Leonhardt, Andra und Partner
• MacDonald Architects
• Illumination Arts
• RWDI Consulting Engineers
• Pennoni Associates
• Metric Engineering
• Corven Engineering
• GOAL Associates (DBE)
• Universal Engineering Sciences and HR Engineering Services (HRES)
• Cardno
• Manuel G. Vera & Associates (DBE)
• PlusUrbia
• Ronald E Frazier & Associates, Neil Hall, AIA, and Design 2 Form

Hyperloop One Announces Hyperloop Florida Connecting Miami to Orlando in 26 Minutes

Miami to Orlando could become one of the first opporating Hyperloop routes in the country, connecting the two cultural hubs in a mere 26 minutes. The current travel time between the two cities is 3 1/2 hours by car or 1 hour by plane. The route was proposed as a finalist by Hyperloop One, the company developing the world's first Hyperloop, who has been working closely with the Florida Department of Transportation. From the final routes, the company will select two or three to build first. The Miami to Orlando loop would open up transportation not only for tourists, but also for cargo from Port of Miami. It would also allow for further expansion to Atlanta and Chicago. In Hyperloop One, passengers and cargo are loaded into a pod which is accelerated with electric propulsion in low-pressure tubes. The first routes considered are among the most high-traffic routes in the country for both trade and tourism.

“Hyperloop One is the only company in the world building an operational commercial Hyperloop system. This disruptive technology – conceived, developed and built in the U.S. – will move passengers and cargo faster, cleaner and more efficiently. It will transform transportation as we know it and create a more connected world,” said Rob Lloyd, CEO of Hyperloop One.

Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit Plan (SMART) Expected to Cost $3.6 Billion

Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit Plan (SMART) is finally coming to Miami and will provide a major shake-up to the city's public transportation opportunities. SMART is expected to cost over $3.6 billion and will bring 82 miles of new train rail to the Miami Metropolitan Area. The new routes will feature a first of its kind 9-mile Miami to Miami Beach metro mover route which will cost approximately $1.2 billion in itself. The rest of the mainland routes will be built at-grade. Officials are considering applying for federal funding. Local funding would allow ground-breaking on all 6 transit corridors to begin with 2 to 6 years. The city of Miami is looking at using increased sales tax, MDX toll revenue, auto tag renewal fee revenue, new parking violation measures, increased gas taxes, TIF financing as options to help locally finance the project.

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