Both lanes on I-75 northbound ramp from Palmetto Expressway are open after repairs made

State highway officials reopened both lanes of the I-75 northbound exit ramp from the Palmetto Expressway Monday afternoon, after closing the ramp for hours in the morning due to cracks.

The cracks were found after the Florida Department of Transportation installed temporary bridge expansion joints on the ramp last week. But the temporary joints “did not withstand the extensive use of the ramp,” FDOT said in an email to the Herald Monday.

That led FDOT to close both lanes of the Palmetto’s northbound exit ramp to I-75 around 9:30 a.m. to inspect the ramp’s structural integrity. FDOT reopened one lane around 11:30 a.m.

“After a thorough inspection, the project team found no structural damage and deemed the ramp safe to reopen,” FDOT said in its email, noting the reopening of one lane.

But the state did not reopen the second lane until around 3:45 p.m., almost seven hours later, based on its announcement on X.

FDOT said the temporary expansion joints would be replaced by permanent ones but it did not immediately respond to the Herald’s query about when that would take place.

Nor did state officials elaborate on why the temporary joints didn’t work after being installed only last week or what damage they had caused to the ramp, leading to the shutdown.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This story was originally published February 24, 2025 at 12:57 PM.

Michael Butler

Miami Herald

Michael Butler writes about minority business and trends that affect marginalized professionals in South Florida. As a business reporter for the Miami Herald, he tells inclusive stories that reflect South Florida’s diversity. Just like Miami’s diverse population, Butler, a Temple University graduate, has both local roots and a Panamanian heritage.