The Stretch North Bound Traffic Lanes Reopen

The northbound lane of the 18-Mile Stretch connecting Key Largo to the mainland is now open, after being closed around the clock since June 18 for repairs.

After the northbound U.S. 1 closure caused a massive traffic jam for weekend visitors heading home June 21, the state Department of Transportation had mandated the road be opened from 10 a.m. to midnight this past Sunday. But it opened earlier, and is now fully open. “They were way ahead of schedule Sunday morning. This is great news,” says Abby Kelley, a spokeswoman for the project’s construction firm. She says some “loose odds and ends” work still needs to be done, but the lanes should stay open.

While the Stretch was closed northbound, traffic was detoured to Card Sound Road, the only other road leading into and out of the Keys. Tolls on Card Sound were suspended but are now being charged. “There is a bit more work for the contractor to do to smooth out some bumps so the [Stretch] meets our specifications,” said Charles Phinizy, a DOT project manager based in the Keys. “That work is to be accomplished late at night and any traffic can be routed on the shoulder around workers and equipment.

The northbound lanes closed June 18 so Granite Construction can repair an underground road divider that failed along the reconstructed U.S. 1.