UPDATE: DELAYED UNTIL 1 p.m. GLADES ROAD REMAINS CLOSED.
BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
UPDATE: 3:30 p.m. — The Diverging Diamond is now OPEN. After a nearly 12 hour delay, FDOT reports that all lanes on Glades Road and all entrances/exits from I-95 at Glades are open.
UPDATE: 11:37 a.m. — The Diverging Diamond is still not open. FDOT reports that bad weather overnight meant the road was not striped. The striping continues Monday morning. First expected to open at 6 a.m., then 10 a.m., the interchange is now expected to open around 1 p.m. Until it does, Glades Road remains CLOSED at I-95 in both directions, and all Glades Road exit and on-ramps to and from I-95 remain blocked.
UPDATE: 6:02 a.m. — The Diverging Diamond opening is now delayed until 10 a.m., with FDOT blaming the delay on poor weather. Glades Road remains CLOSED at I-95 until 10 a.m. Listen for traffic updates on South Florida’s First News with Andrew Colton on NewsRadio 610 WIOD, 105.9HD2, in the iHeart Radio app, or tell Alex, Google, or Siri to play “NewsRadio 610 WIOD.”
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2023 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — It’s here! Depending on what time this article hits your news feed, the Diverging Diamond is either open — or about to open — at Glades Road and I-95 in Boca Raton. The official “go live” time is 6 a.m. Monday.
Years in the making, the Diverging Diamond is supposed to alleviate increasing traffic congestion on Glades Road in the area of I-95. The original intersection configuration was never designed for a modern-day Boca Raton. With FAU, Town Center Mall, and a dramatic population increase, the Florida Department of Transportation started planning the Diverging Diamond years ago.
FDOT is warning Monday morning that your GPS will not be updated with the new traffic pattern. Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, and others have been notified, but it could takes weeks — if not longer — for maps to be updated. Transporation officials warn that the new traffic pattern may seem counter-intuitive, but take it slowly and it will prove to be a major improvement.
Police are expected to be in the area all day to assist confused motorists and ensure that traffic keeps moving. The Diverging Diamond may make motorists feel that they are driving the wrong way. Despite the perception to doom, Diverging Diamonds have proven successful across South Florida — including at Ives Dairy Road and Biscayne Blvd. in Aventura.
