From Gridlock to Flow: Transforming Urban Mobility with the Port of Miami Tunnel

Miami’s downtown streets were once a bottleneck for port-bound traffic — a daily tangle of cargo trucks, cruise line buses and commuters. With the city’s population growing and demand for goods and services rising, congestion became a critical challenge for local authorities. 

To address this, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami worked together to deliver a bold solution: a tunnel system connecting the Port of Miami directly to I-395 and I-95. The Port of Miami Tunnel would bypass downtown entirely, easing congestion and enhancing safety for residents and visitors alike.

Jacobs played a central role in this transformative project, serving as lead designer for the Miami Access Tunnel (MAT) design-build team. Our scope included highway, bridge and tunnel design, as well as lighting systems, utility relocations, support buildings and traffic management. The tunnel — a twin bore, 37-foot inside diameter (41-foot outside) — stretches 4,200 feet beneath the port’s shipping channel, linking Dodge Island to Watson Island and the MacArthur Causeway.

Excavated using an Earth Pressure Tunnel Boring Machine (EPBM), the tunnel navigated some of the most geologically challenging conditions ever encountered by this technology. Jacobs led an extensive ground investigation program to define mixed face conditions and stabilize the porous Key Largo Formation through major formation grouting. Our team also designed pump stations, portal trench drains and relocated critical utilities to support tunnel construction and long-term operations.

The project was delivered through Florida’s first transportation public-private-partnership (P3), with financing led by Bouygues Travaux Publics S.A. and operations and maintenance provided by Transfield Services Ltd. Under this model, the concessionaire secured initial capital and will perform operations & maintenance services for 30 years, with costs shared by FDOT, Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami.

Beyond engineering excellence, the Port of Miami Tunnel is a model of collaborative innovation integrating new infrastructure into existing systems, improving urban mobility and setting a benchmark for future megaprojects. The project has earned widespread recognition for its engineering innovation, collaborative delivery model and transformative impact, garnering numerous national and international awards, including:

• Infrastructure Project Award – National Council for Public-Private Partnerships, 2015
• Global Award – American Road & Transportation Builders Association, 2015
• Best Use of Innovation – Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO), 2015
• Grand Prize – American Transportation Awards, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials - AASHTO, 2015
• Project of the Year, Engineering News-Record – Southeast, 2015
• Engineering Excellence Honor Award, American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), 2015
• Grand Conceptor Award, Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers/ACEC, 2015
• “Be Inspired” Award – Innovation in Megaprojects, Bentley, 2014
• Named in Top 100 Infrastructure Projects in the World, KPMG, 2014