Wednesday bulldozers broke through a section of the original Tamiami Trail, about thirty miles west of Miami.
With the roadway gone, water will able to flow from water conservation area #3, into a nearby canal and then south towards the Everglades National Park.
Randy Smith, a spokesman for the South Florida Water Management District, said it’s a quick, affordable fix.
“Other than District fuel station’s time and fuel for the equipment these are going to be some things that we can do efficiently and should be effective,” he said.
Smith said the increased flow to the south will be “moderate”. He said bulldozing the road to move more water south will reduce water levels in the Everglades which are very high this summer, threatening wildlife.
“Keeping water levels high is having adverse effects on wildlife and critical tree islands,” he said. “When we get the water level down in the water conservation area the increase in southerly flow facilitated by the demolition becomes a means for diverting more Lake Okeechobee water away from the coastal areas.”
Last week Gov. Rick Scott announced state funding for a bridge over a portion of the existing Tamiami Trail. The federal government has also bridged a portion of the roadway.
