El Portal gets Traffic Circle upgrade

EL PORTAL

El Portal traffic circle will be upgraded

BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald

El Portal's traffic circle near city hall soon will get an upgrade.

The Federal Department of Transportation will make improvements to the traffic circle at Northeast 87th Street and Fourth Avenue Road in an effort to slow vehicles.

Village Manager Jason Walker said the enhancement will help reduce speeding.

''It will help drivers navigate the circle better,'' he said.

The project includes adding new signs, an irrigation system, recessed lightning and rumble strips.

Landscaping also will be added to the central island.

El Portal and FDOT will split the $125,000 cost. FDOT will spend $56,641, the village $68,359. The village's portion will come from Citizens Independent Transportation Trust funds, while FDOT's money will come from federal stimulus funds alloted for the village.

The project has been in the works since February.

''We are doing this because the money can only be used on federally aided highways,'' Walker said. ``This is the only federally aided highway we have in the village.''

FDOT project manager Hong Benitez said construction is expected to start in October.