The Everglades National Park will receive $60 million from the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects program, funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to help encourage water flow into the park by elevating the Tamiami Trail. The funding will match the $43.5 million commitment made last November.

The Tamiami Trail, a 264-mile roadway built on grade in 1928 to connect Tampa and Miami, acts as a barrier, limiting water flow in the park.

Everglades National Park superintendent Pedro Ramos said, "Projects like this one are made possible by the full cooperation and collaboration between federal and state agencies. We are very fortunate to have the strong support from our partners in the state of Florida, as well as many members of the Florida delegation who have supported this project from the beginning."

The program will help complete the Tamiami Trail Next Steps project. The project aims to elevate the on grade 6.5-mile eastern portion of the roadway in an effort to increase connectivity between the marshes, restore natural flow patterns, and restore ridge and slough habitat. This will allow water managers to increase the water flows and help rehydrate the 1.5 million acres of park lands.

The final phase of the project will begin this month, with the National Park service, FHWA, and the Florida Department of Transportation creating the preliminary design. Full project completion is expected by 2023.

For more information about the project, click HERE.