Rainbow Interchange

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Rainbow Interchange
Lauderloop
Rainbow Interchange during the morning commute.
Location
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Coordinates	26°04′55″N 80°10′07″W / 26.08196°N 80.168722°W / 26.08196; -80.168722 (Rainbow Interchange)Coordinates: 26°04′55″N 80°10′07″W / 26.08196°N 80.168722°W / 26.08196; -80.168722 (Rainbow Interchange)
Roads at junction	I-95 I-595
Construction
Type	Stack interchange
Opened	March 22, 1991 (1991-03-22)[1]
Maintained by	Florida Department of Transportation

The Rainbow Interchange is a four–level stack interchange located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The interchange connects two major highways in the area, I-95 (leading to Miami and West Palm Beach) and I-595 (leading to Davie and the airport). The interchange opened in 1991.

While minor construction improvements and repainting have occurred since the opening of the interchange, the interchange is planned to experience major additions throughout 2025 as part of the Florida Department of Transportation's 95 Express project.

History[]

The Rainbow Interchange opened to traffic on March 22, 1991. The cost of constructing the interchange was $121 million (equivalent to $206.5 million in 2019).^[1] Jim Weinberg designed the color scheme for the overpasses. He used Art Deco-stylized shades of color for the overpasses: winter blue, mural pink, cockleshell, natural grain, sailor's sky, and hazy sun.^[1]

In 1990, while the interchange was still under construction, the Miami Herald ran a contest in which its readers were requested to submit names for the soon-to-be important connection between two Interstate highways. The winning name was the Lauderloop, an ironic choice as four-level stack interchanges do not incorporate loops in their design. The contest was a short-term joke as virtually nobody in the local media referred to "Lauderloop" in their articles and reports involving the interchange, choosing the Rainbow moniker instead.^{[2][verification needed]} In 2002, the Florida Department of Transportation decided to repaint the interchange in bold colors.^[3]

Description[]

The Rainbow Interchange marks the southern end of a segment of I-95 that sees traffic levels of roughly 300,000 automobiles per day in its 14 lanes, making it the busiest stretch of highway in the State of Florida;^{[4][verification needed]} Interstate 595 carries half that load in its eight lanes just west of the colorful junction of two Interstate highways.^{[original research?]}

Future[]

Due to Phase 3 of the I-95 Express Lanes extension, the interchange will be expanded with more overpasses and flyover ramps. The existing overpasses and flyover ramps will remain intact, but the girders will be repainted royal blue. The repainting of the existing girders to just one consistent color may require the interchange to be given a new name. The construction of the new overpasses and flyover ramps as well as the repaint of the existing ones are scheduled to begin by either 2019 or 2020 and expected to be completed by 2023. These ramps include ramps connecting the northbound and southbound express lanes on I-95 to both directions of I-595.^[5]

References[]