Miami-Dade Commissoner Esteban Bovo wants the Florida Department of 
Transportation to open up the Northwest 170th Street bridge over I-75 so that people who live on the west side in Hialeah — where more development is coming, including the American Dream Miami mega mall — can cross over more easily to the Palmetto Expressway and 87th Avenue.
And, of course, vice versa.
But many residents in Miami Lakes and the unincorporated Palm Springs North — who believe the cut-through traffic would destroy their residential neighborhoods — don’t necessarily want easy access to the west side and are none too happy about having the bridge opened to vehicular traffic.
“The traffic we have now is bad enough. This is going to bring more gridlock,” said Robert Scavuzzo, president of the Palm Springs North Civic Association. He is upset that this is coming onto the agenda without any public input on the impact it would have to their neighborhood.
Bovo will ask the commission on Wednesday to urge the FDOT to open up the bridge, a two-lane road built at least as far back as the 1980s for absolutely no reason (read: someone made money off that), because “extending NW 170th Street over I-75 may minimize traffic congestion and increase the flow of traffic, benefitting those who reside and work in the area,” according to the resolution. Key word: May.
It may minimize traffic congestion? Now we’re urging the FDOT to open a bridge to traffic on conjecture?
“About four or five years ago, these bridges — really bridges to nowhere — had no reason to be opened and activated,” 
Bovo said, talking about both the 179th and the 154th street bridges, which he says will eventually be opened also. “That has changed. You have substantial development there now.
“I firmly believe that this is going to alleviate an area of congestion that is basically gridlock. It’s going to bring connectivity,” Bovo told Ladra, using one of his favorite buzzwords. “This is an area of Northwest Dade that has been very sleepy for a long time and, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on whose lens you are looking through, it is waking up with a lot of development.
“Both bridges are going to be required to alleviate the traffic that is coming.”
Read related story: American Dream moves along without any ifs, ands or buts
But Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid says he can’t support Bovo’s resolution without a traffic study that says it’s definitely going to help congestion and flow. Not that it may help.
“We do things a little differently in Miami Lakes. We base our actions on fact,” Cid told Ladra.
“They keep saying it’s going to help connectivity in the area, but we’re skeptical,” he said, adding that he would send 
an email to Bovo on Tuesday and would be at the meeting Wednesday to oppose the resolution. “We think it’s just going to change traffic patterns and make traffic worse.”
The opening a few years ago of Northwest 87th Avenue, which was controversial back then too, is an example. “Although it was good for Northwest Dade on connectivity, it was bad for Miami Lakes,” Cid said.
In fact, the town council voted unanimously last year to reject any attempt to open the bridge without a traffic study — paid for by either the county or the private developers on the west side of I-75 who are pushing for this — that finds it will benefit the people of Miami Lakes. Which, let’s face it, is a long shot. Opening that bridge might benefit the people west of I-75, who only can get out via 138th or 183rd streets. But it’s unlikely that it will benefit the people on the east.
Except to make it easier to get to the American Dream
Miami mega mall.
Bovo and other sources close to the American Dream discussions told Ladra, however, that the owners of the mega mall are not the ones pushing for this. They are working on other entrance and exit points that would be less disruptive to the surrounding residential neighborhood — there has been talk of developing ramps directly onto the property from the Turnpike or I-75 — and their traffic study indicates no need to have the Northwest 170 Street bridge opened.
Though, certainly, it would be a welcome bonus, wouldn’t it?
Read related story: Miami Lakes mayor wants a piece of American Dream pie
More likely, several sources say, this is being pushed by Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez — a Bovo pal and ally — on behalf of and in partnership with
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Manny Cid said, “We do things a little differently in Miami Lakes. We base our actions on fact,” Cid told Ladra. “They keep saying it’s going to help connectivity in the area, but we’re skeptical… We think it’s just going to change traffic patterns and make traffic worse.”
Let’s review. Cid attacked Bovo, accusing him of not basing his conclusion on fact. Then he turned around and, without any factual backing, said “We think…” Nice, Mr. Cid.
Mr. Cid, the facts prove you are wrong about this issue. Miami Lakes asked for a traffic study? Well, HERE IT IS!!! This traffic study was completed by professional traffic engineers, and it concludes that traffic flow will improve for all stakeholders: https://tinyurl.com/39dyxd4a.
Sounds an awful lot like those who oppose the opening of the bridges are basing their conclusions on nothing but smoke, mirrors, and conjecture. Not fact– conjecture. I challenge Mr. Cid to show any facts- not conjecture or feeling- that refute this traffic study. Furthermore, I challenge Mr. Cid to refute the fact that the bridges remaining closed present a major safety hazard to fellow Miami-Dade County residents living and working west of I-75 between NW 138th Street and Miami Gardens Drive. They are one accident away from being locked into their area.
Lastly, why doesn’t Mr. Cid actually get something done that be of benefit: a traffic study of Miami Lakes Drive from the Palmetto west to Galloway Road, and what would the result be if he actually took the time to sync the traffic lights?! Perhaps Mr. Cid could focus on fixing the problems of Miami Lakes??? Mr. Cid is playing the NIMBY card with zero fact backing him up. Typical to use an ad-hominem attack, accusing Bovo of not basing his actions on fact, when Mr. Cid is actually the one short on facts but loud on conjecture. “NIMBY Cid,” no dice, sir.
Commissioner : The addition To Hialeah to 171 st was a Fiasco When It materialized more than 60 aCRES WHERE UNDER cONTRACT tO politicians and Friends of Hialeah. Did any of that Acreage had Your Name and is That Why The Water Plan Was Build and The 4 lane hywaywas Build By >
An Over pass on 170 St will be The Cherry To the Cake ?
What they need to do is recall the commissioner
The residents of PSN and Miami Lakes do not need a roadway to go west. They need roadways open to go east to the Palmetto expressway.
Opening the bridges will only help the resident of North Hialeah. The traffic coming from the west would only make the current situation worse.
Commissioner Bovo sent this agenda item out on a Friday afternoon for a vote on a Wednesday. No procedure for the resident to speak. This was done this way for a reason.
Sad to say that Commissioner Bovo represents PSN and Miami Lakes. BUT, he does represent Hialeah and their developers very, very well. We will remember.
With Lennar building over 600 homes on 87 Ave between 154 and 183 rd at 2 cars per household 1200 extra cars in a small neighborhood with streets that do not have the capacity for expansion, already at gridlocked, with over 8 schools in less than 3 miles, a bridge to bring in more traffic does not make sense, And from a community that is still under construction with only one street in and one street out. Who planned and allowed this craziness. We don’t need a study we need Comm Bovo and FDOT to sit on 87th, 82nd 78, 77, 67 Ave, NW 170 and watch what is going on. Total gridlock. Bringing extra cars to alleviate the mess on the West will only add to the mess on the East. Those that planned the NEW community on the West of I-75 need to come up with a solution without passing it to the established OLD communities. The bridge was paid by the tax payers, the tax payers DO NOT WANT IT OPENED.
Sadly, these bridges have never been opened because Miami Lakes residents didn’t want the Hialeah folks to be connected to them. As a result, Miami Lakes has trapped THEMSELVES in their own town. I wish this weren’t true, but it is. If they open up these “bridges to nowhere” of course it will alleviate congestion. It’s common sense. Why have a bridge to nowhere?
By the way, this isn’t the first time traffic decisions have been made for racist reasons. Georgetown didn’t want the metro in their suburb because they didn’t want the undesirables to be easily connected to them. Now they are wishing they had a metro stop.
Muy triste
What’s sad is that you think the reason for keeping them closed is racist. Our council is entirely Hispanic and every one of them shares the desire to keep them closed UNLESS and UNTIL proof is shown that it will alleviate traffic. We haven’t trapped ourselves in Miami Lakes, we’ve been busy protecting our city. Hialeah has not protected itself from special interest development. That’s a big part of why Hialeah is in the mess it is in. Sorry if common sense comes across as racism to you. That is indeed muy triste.
It’s sad, but true, that Miami Lakes has always had an issue being associated with Hialeah. They didn’t even want to share their zip code with Hialeah. After years of fighting for their own, they finally got it. If someone from Hialeah runs for office in ML, some residents have said, in front of me: we don’t want hialeah here. Have you ever heard people say Miami Lakes is Hialeah by the Sea. I don’t agree with that, I went to preschool there, have family there, and love the town, but sadly, all of this is true. Racist? For the old guard, yes. For the others, I would say it is a socioeconomic class issue. Nonetheless, I agree that the County must do a traffic study. Absolutely.
Thank you for clarifying your position a bit more. I do have to say, however, in regards to the zip code and the noted efforts to distance ourselves from Hialeah that there’s nothing wrong with a community safeguarding its identity. The truth is that Hialeah has a less than stellar reputation, not by virtue of its residents but rather by virtue of its political history which is rife with corruption, electoral shenanigans, and poor urban planning. Yes, many Miami Lakers have their origins in Hialeah and they moved here after gaining affluence. But they did so not to segregate themselves from the people of Hialeah, but rather from the poor decision making that emanates from its City Hall. Miami Lakes is not perfect, but has done a better job than Hialeah in managing its affairs. Our zoning is undeniably more consistent and our architectural controls helps to better maintain high home values and a better quality of life. Most people if they are honest don’t want to live in a place where industrial zoning collides with residential areas, for example.
So in summary, Miami Lakers are simply protecting their individual identity same as Hialeah and every other city should and does do. The reason for advocating the bridges stay closed is because there is no benefit to Miami Lakes for doing so and there’s arguably little benefit for the residents of that area in Hialeah for doing so at this time. I would also point out that while I too have heard that phrase (“don’t want Hialeah in here”) that Tony Lama and Nelson Rodriguez won big last election. Both of them grew up in Hialeah. So, despite the “old guard” as you called them (who are increasingly a smaller share of the population), having ties to Hialeah is no barrier to office in Miami Lakes. Having ties to the political machine in Hialeah on the other hand can be a different matter and I think some of those concerns are absolutely valid–again, because of the city’s political history.
Lol. “Pressure valve” is the perfect analogy indeed cause it’s those of us on the East side of 75 that are about to get BURNED. Thanks, Bobo (not a misspelling).
Opening up the 170th bridge will NOT alleviate traffic, it will simply make things worse for our once quiet neighborhood.
Bovo stated NW Miami Dade was very sleepy for years, but he must of forgotten, that 1) we like it that way 2) we have had to deal with the ongoing mine blasting being conducted by White Rock for years that continue to slowly destroy our homes – I wonder how the over priced homes on the west side of I-75 we handle the blasts. Not to mention, we have over 400 homes being built on 87th and 154th street and another 84 townhomes BOVO pushed on a triangular corner right off 186 street that too have NO good in/out access.
BOVO – how are you going to help us with the blasting? Are you going to help us repair our homes?
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I have a question – why do the planners/developers/cities NOT build the streets/avenues first as seen in other states and then build the communities. They simply build… build… build… to fill their pockets with cash, but forget to build the arteries that feed these new communities.
Another idea that would make sense is to have feeder ramps from the WEST onto I-75 (NB & SB), and onto the Turnpike. No need to push additional traffic to the EAST.
We dont need any additional traffic on our already salurated “F” rated streets in Palm Springs North and West Miami Lakes!
BOVO do you not hear our cry?