Called a “pork barrel project” by President Ronald Reagan
back in the 1980s, the Port of Miami Tunnel Project
has proven to be more lean than fat. Originally thought
to cost over $3 billion, the price tag was reduced to $1
billion. The tunnel provides a direct connection from the
Port of Miami to highways via Watson Island to I-395.
The tunnel boring machine was 540 ft long and 40 ft in
diameter. Heavy trucks traveling to and from the port are
now allowed to bypass downtown Miami, and the project
was one of the first P3 ventures in the state.
