MIC/Earlington Heights Connector

A 22.4-mile-long heavy rail transit line in Miami Dade County began service in 1984 and includes 22 stations. The most recent addition to the line, Palmetto Station, opened in May 2003.

The Miami Dade County People’s Transportation Plan 2030 has identified up to 88.9 miles of new countywide rapid transit lines. Subject to federal funding, a variety of extensions are being planned. The 2.4-mile MIC-Earlington Heights Connector, expected to be completed in 2009, will provide a connection to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), a proposed regional transportation hub that will serve the Miami International Airport (MIA). The connector will be financed through local and state funds. Concurrently, Miami Dade Transit (MDT) has initiated a program to overhaul its existing fleet of 136 cars. Other projects, slated for completion by 2013 include the North Corridor (9.5 miles) and the East-West Corridor (17.2 miles).

Lea+Elliott, as a subcontractor to URS, is responsible for preliminary systems design, including the generation of design, furnish and install procurement documents. The scope of work includes train control, communications, power supply and distribution and modifications to the control center. Lea+Elliott is also responsible for providing system interface requirements that will be included in the fixed facilities final design package(s).

Notice to Proceed was given in early June 2005 and Lea+Elliott has initiated data collection activities on the existing Metrorail design, including review of upgrades that have taken place over time. A programming phase is also well underway, and the design concepts have been established. The connector will use 700-volt DC traction power and microprocessor-based interlocking at the MIC Metrorail station. The existing Earlington Heights station’s relay-based interlocking will either be expanded or replaced with a microprocessor-based interlocking. Provisions for westerly expansion of the MIC-Earlington Heights Connector, toward Florida International University, will be included in the design. 

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