The Sawgrass Expressway (State Road 869) is a key toll road in Broward County, Florida, offering a critical east-west and north-south route for commuters. Yet, since its opening in 1986, many drivers have wondered: Why didn’t the Sawgrass Expressway directly connect to I-95? The answer lies in decades of planning choices, community opposition, and environmental concerns.
Early Design and Planning Decisions
When the Sawgrass Expressway was built, its eastern terminus stopped at Florida’s Turnpike and SW 10th Street in Deerfield Beach. Rather than extending the expressway all the way to I-95, planners opted to have traffic continue along SW 10th Street, a standard surface road. This decision reflected budget limitations at the time and the complexities of pushing a highway through developed residential and environmental areas.
Community and Environmental Opposition
Over the years, proposals to extend the expressway directly to I-95 repeatedly surfaced but failed to advance. Residents along SW 10th Street voiced strong opposition, citing concerns about noise, pollution, property values, and quality of life. Additionally, environmental advocates raised issues about potential harm to sensitive wetlands and wildlife habitats near the corridor. These challenges combined to stall expressway extension plans for decades.
Shifting Priorities and New Plans
For a long time, the focus remained on managing traffic along SW 10th Street rather than building a direct expressway connection. However, with worsening congestion and regional growth, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) revived the idea. The current solution is the SW 10th Street Connector Project — a limited-access highway that will link the Sawgrass Expressway, Florida’s Turnpike, and I-95 via elevated lanes parallel to the existing SW 10th Street.
This modern design aims to improve traffic flow while addressing community concerns through noise walls, improved landscaping, and careful alignment.
What’s Next?
Construction of the connector is expected to begin in late 2024. The project will take several years to complete, with an estimated duration of about seven years. When finished, drivers will finally have a direct, high-speed connection from the Sawgrass Expressway to I-95, easing one of South Florida’s most frustrating bottlenecks.
