Florida DOT reveals plans for Miami port tunnel

Florida DOT reveals plans for Miami port tunnel    The Florida Department of Transportation Monday held a meeting with potential contractors for an ambitious tunnel project for the Port of Miami, revealing for the first time its general vision and timetable for the long-discussed project.
   The Port of Miami is on a man-made island accessed by a single bridge connecting to a busy downtown street. The Miami trade community has for years discussed a tunnel that would lead directly from the port to the primary highway system.
   State and port officials have made tentative plans for a tunnel, but Monday's session was the first time the state has explained its plans in detail.
   DOT officials said the tunnel would be 3,900 feet long and would go under Biscayne Bay from the port to Interstate 395. It would have two lanes in each direction and would be 40 feet in diameter. Cost estimates were not detailed at the session.
   The state said it hopes to select a firm to design, finance, build and operate the project by December. Work on the project would start in seven years.