Fort Lauderdale, FL

Henry E. Kinney Tunnel Rehabilitation and Pedestrian Plaza Project

Client: Florida Department of Transportation, District 4
Our Role: Design

Image of an entrance to an underground four-lane vehicle tunnel.

Known as the “Venice of America,” Fort Lauderdale is a tourist haven boasting 24 miles of sandy beaches along Florida’s Gold Coast and over 165 miles of inland waterways throughout the city. Traffic over these rivers and canals is supported by a series of bridges and the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel, an 864-foot-long, twin-box river tunnel that opened in 1960. The tunnel carries U.S. 1 (S.R. 5) traffic under North Rio Vista, New River, and Las Olas Boulevards in the densely populated heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 4 developed the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel Rehabilitation and Pedestrian Plaza Project (FP ID 439714-1-52-01) to upgrade the aging tunnel, improve safety and traffic operations on the area’s roadways, and transform a previously open space into a dynamic, accessible public plaza.

Our firm served as the lead designer for the tunnel rehabilitation project, working closely with FDOT. The project’s primary objectives included:

Rehabilitate and Modernize the Tunnel: Ensure long-term resilience by strengthening critical tunnel components and upgrading outdated information technology and safety systems.
Enhance Safety, Durability, and Emergency Response: Improve safety measures through advanced technologies such as automated pumps, carbon monoxide detectors, and photoluminescent signage, bolstering emergency response capabilities.
Minimize Traffic Disruptions Through Phased Construction: Maintain continuous commuter access by designing and implementing a phased construction approach that accommodates complex structural improvements.
Replace the North Ventilation Building: Design a replacement of the north ventilation building on Las Olas Boulevard, ensuring modern safety compliance, operational efficiency, and historic preservation. Interpretive panels were added focusing on the history of US-1, Fort Lauderdale, and historic Stranahan House.
Transform the Pedestrian Plaza: Create a vibrant, accessible public space atop the tunnel featuring decorative lighting, landscaping, and seating areas to enhance community engagement and support local businesses.

Pedestrian Plaza
The project’s focal point is the new plaza at the north end of Las Olas Boulevard, converting a previously open space into a public plaza sponsored by a Local Fund Agreement (LFA) from the City of Fort Lauderdale. The plaza includes decorative lighting, landscaped green spaces, and public seating areas, aiming to encourage community engagement as an enticing urban destination. This design seeks to improve quality of life, support local businesses, and promote active multimodal transportation, providing a social and economic benefit for the Fort Lauderdale community and adding to Fort Lauderdale’s park system.
Roadway Improvements
Henry E. Kinney Tunnel Rehabilitation and Pedestrian Plaza included a complex roadway project, installing intelligent transportation systems (ITS), and key infrastructure upgrades, including adaptive traffic signals. New ITS elements, including CCTV cameras, warning gates at the tunnel approaches, and adaptive traffic signal controls, were designed to improve safety and mobility along 3.14 miles of US-1 from I-595 to Broward Boulevard. The project also upgraded emergency signage, pavement markings, traffic control devices, and drainage systems.
In addition, the extension of the tunnel to the north eliminated a constrained sight distance condition at the intersection of Las Olas Boulevard above the tunnel, which was a significant hazard to pedestrians and vehicles. The raised intersection on Las Olas Boulevard above the tunnel, characterized by decorative pavement, walkways, and bollards, was designed to promote traffic calming and pedestrian safety.
Tunnel Operations
Originally constructed in 1960, the tunnel rehabilitation used the latest proven mechanical, electrical, structural, and traffic engineering techniques to meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 502 safety standards and the client’s project objectives. These included installing:
- An automated LED tunnel lighting system that adjusts to the time of day.
- Automated drainage pumps for storm events.
- Detectors for hazardous hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide.
- Thermal and color cameras to provide real-time views in the tunnel.
- Decorative panels to screen the new wall-mounted conduits.
To integrate the new tunnel operations, safety systems, and traffic management into the Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC), crews installed fiber optic communications cables connecting the new system on US-1 to the existing network at federal highway I-595 and Broward Boulevard. Newly deployed technologies along US-1, including cameras, detectors, and dynamic message signs, now monitor conditions and provide real-time updates to inform and improve the traveling public’s experience.
The City of Fort Lauderdale sponsored a Local Fund Agreement (LFA) through FDOT for the extension of the tunnel. The extension to the north was done by constructing a two-span continuously supported bridge between the open ramp walls and new center wall, extending 117 feet from the original north portal to the new portal.

Key Features

Advanced tunnel technologies to enhance safety, durability, and emergency response capabilities.
Phased construction to minimize lane closures, maintaining continuous commuter access and construction of the new plaza.
Transformation of an empty space into a vibrant plaza, enhancing community engagement and supporting local businesses through enhanced lighting, landscaping, and public seating areas.
Elimination of hazardous sight distance conditions through traffic-calming measures and adaptive traffic signal control.

Outcomes

Rehabilitated tunnel to modern standards.
Safer and more efficient roadways.
Increased community engagement with a new public plaza above the tunnel.
American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida, 2025, Engineering Excellence Awards, Grand Award: Transportation.
American Society of Highway Engineers Southeast Region, 2024, Project of the Year: $30M – $100M.
American Council of Engineering Companies, 2025, National Recognition Award.
American Society of Highway Engineers, 2024, National Project of the Year.