Northbound Collins at 86th street and Collins (A1A, a federal highway) has had a lane closure for nearly 2 years due to the building collapse in Surfside Florida. As a resident, I along with our community have been impacted with extra heavy traffic delays due to the closure of the lane with no end in sight. After inquiring last fall as to how long this is going to continue , I was told by year end (2022) the roadway should be opened back up. It is now April 2023 with still, no end in sight. The issue was said to be the fear of roadway collapse if they open the lane. My problem with this is, the property has been sold, the emergency is over and has been for about a year and a half. There is a new private developer/owner of the site. Has the new owner of the site even been made officially aware that they are blocking a public roadway? Was there official notice given that they have a certain period of time to shore up their site in order to protect the roadway from collapse? I'd like to see the official correspondence putting the owner on notice. Blocking a public roadway is a violation of the Florida Statutes and I'd like to ask who is looking out for the public taxpayers and impacted residents? In addition to the negative effect of a lane closure for 2 years, I'd like to know who is paying for the traffic "direction arrow" trailer and barricades for all this time? Hopefully not the taxpayers when it's for a private owner's problem. Let's look into this right away and get the lane opened back up. If it needs support, have the owner pour reinforcing concrete against the road, or sheet pile and back fill fill with reinforcing concrete to brace the roadway. This is way past ridiculous. Let's involve the City of Miami Beach as it impacts their residents as well along with FDOT, and Miami Dade public works. Let's put this on the front burner otherwise it's never going to open back up. Instead it will roll right into another lane closure for the purpose of construction of a new tower (and probably the taxpayers will still be paying for the barricades and traffic trailer). Maybe, just maybe, we can have full intended access to our roadway even for a brief period of time, before another 2- year closure due to construction at the site. I'm waiting to hear back.

Thank you,
Andy Allocco