Coral Springs’ next diverging diamond interchange remains in design phase
Coral Springs, Florida – Coral Springs drivers are preparing for another major change along the Sawgrass Expressway, where plans call for a new diverging diamond interchange at Coral Ridge Drive.
The project is still in the design phase, while Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise has included construction funding for the 2026 fiscal year, according to the agency’s project materials. However, exactly when construction will begin remains unclear.
The Coral Ridge Drive interchange is part of a larger project to widen the Sawgrass Expressway between Sample Road and University Drive. Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise estimates the overall cost of the work at about $95 million.
A diverging diamond interchange works differently from a traditional highway interchange. For a short distance, traffic moves to the opposite side of the roadway, allowing drivers to turn onto the highway without crossing directly in front of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction. The design is intended to make turning movements easier while reducing points where traffic paths cross.
The Coral Ridge Drive project will bring several changes to the interchange and surrounding roadway. According to project materials, the design adds three turn lanes at the exit ramp. That will result in four lanes in each direction on Coral Ridge Drive, with four northbound lanes and four southbound lanes.
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The work will not be limited to the interchange itself. Crews are also expected to reconstruct and widen the bridges at Coral Ridge Drive and Coral Springs Drive. The project includes stormwater improvements as well as new lighting, signs and traffic technology along the corridor.
The Sawgrass Expressway itself is also scheduled for expansion. The roughly 2.8-mile stretch between the Coral Ridge Drive and Sample Road interchanges is planned to grow from six lanes to eight lanes.
The timing of that work, however, has become one of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding the project.
The northern section of the Sawgrass Expressway widening project was originally scheduled to begin earlier this year but was delayed. It remains unclear when construction crews will begin that portion of the work.
Just south of Coral Ridge Drive, a partial diverging diamond interchange at Sample Road is nearing completion. Once both projects are finished, drivers along this part of the Sawgrass Expressway will encounter two major interchange changes relatively close to one another.
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise has previously listed late 2029 as the expected completion date for the Coral Ridge Drive interchange project. It is not known whether that target has changed because of the delays.
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Questions about the project’s current status have remained unanswered. TAPinto Coral Springs first contacted Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise on Aug. 24 to ask where the Coral Ridge Drive project stood and when construction was expected to start.
A spokesperson responded on Aug. 27 and again on Sept. 2, saying the agency was working on the request. After additional follow-ups, no further details had been provided as of Thursday, Sept. 17.
Florida Department of Transportation officials also did not respond to repeated questions about the project’s status.
For now, the project remains moving through design, with funding identified for construction but no clear public start date. The planned interchange is one piece of a much larger effort to improve the Sawgrass Expressway corridor and expand capacity between Sample Road and University Drive.
More information about the project, including its planned improvements, is available through Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise project materials.
