Work Set To Begin Monday On Port Of Miami Tunnel

The controversial plan to build a tunnel to the Port of Miami under Biscayne Bay has survived yet another challenge, and the $1 billion project is back on track with preliminary construction starting as early as Monday.

At a public meeting Thursday of Miami-Dade transportation planners, it became clear that Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Florida Department of Transportation officials had resolved their differences on where to start excavating the tunnel.

At last month's meeting of the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization, Bower had urged FDOT to switch the start of excavation to the port side instead of Watson Island in order to avoid disrupting traffic to South Beach.

But Thursday, Bower no longer insisted on her prior proposal, and instead praised state transportation officials for meeting with Miami Beach residents and business leaders to assuage traffic concerns.

``FDOT has come to the plate and worked closely with us,'' Bower said. ``This has turned out quite well.''

Bower's withdrawal of her objections ended the latest challenge to the project, which at times has teetered on collapse.

The biggest threat -- FDOT's desire last year to shelve the existing project -- ended after Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez personally helped rescue the project.

Gus Pego, head of the FDOT office in Miami, said Thursday that preliminary work -- construction of a new frontage road on Watson Island -- would begin Monday, but that the work would not impact traffic on the MacArthur Causeway during the Memorial Day weekend.