It finally opened the Northwest 17th Avenue Bridge over the Miami River, which during nearly a year of closure for repairs caused major traffic congestion in the area, inconvenience for local residents, and loss of customers and revenue for area businesses.
Nelson Mendoza, who is hopeful after the opening, believes that now his flower shop will have a better future. “The first impression is that the street is full of traffic and that helps us a lot because people see us, and they stop, they see the flower shop open and they get out to buy. From Saturday to today it has changed. Today Monday has been a busy day “.
This change is also good news for the owner of the Varadero hardware store. Ihosdany Alfonso says that this “was the best thing that could have happened to us, otherwise we would go bankrupt. We have lost a lot of money with that closed bridge… losses of 30,000 and up to 40,000 dollars in one month.”
The Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works was carrying out critical repairs to the counterweights and structure of the historic bridge, built in 1928.
“On July 13, we would have completed 11 months since the bridge was closed and it has been the most terrible thing we have experienced for the business,” reveals Nelson Mendoza, of Flowers by Nelson.
And this Saturday that changed with the reopening of the bridge. “Sales have already increased much more. There is more movement. Clients are much happier that the area is more accessible,” explains Alfonso.
Despite what local residents and businesses say was a delayed repair, Miami-Dade officials say it was expedited repair work critical to ensuring the bridge’s safety and functionality before opening.
For residents who transit through the area, the opening has been a relief, to cross both banks of the river and reach Little Havana. And despite the delays, local residents are grateful for the result.
“It’s better because now moving is faster, easier. There are more access roads,” says Fe Acosta.
For his part, Edwin Cruz, says that “for so many years that this bridge was bad… this was the best decision they have made, to repair this bridge.”
