Q: When will the new rest stop at mile marker 63 on Alligator Alley be completed and open?

Bernie Conti, Davie

A: The rest area, which will include a new base for rescue workers, should re-open by the end of August. It’s located about 13 miles west of the Broward/Collier county line.

While the rest area itself is closed for construction, crews recently opened its entrance and exit ramps for drivers to turn around if necessary, said Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Debbie Tower. The rest area at mile marker 34 remains open.

The $8.8 million project included building two recreational access areas adjacent to Big Cypress National Preserve on the north and south sides of Alligator Alley. Each area provides parking for up to 15 cars and 25 tractor-trailers. The number of restrooms increased from 30 to 44 and four family restrooms were added.

The new base for emergency responders is expected to help cut response times on Alligator Alley, which carries Interstate 75 across the Everglades.

Q: When will the University Drive and Nob Hill Road extensions to Loxahatchee Road be completed?

Richard Feldman, Parkland

A: A portion of Nob Hill Road from Hillsboro Boulevard to the entrance at MiraLago is finished and open to traffic, said Broward County Highway and Construction Engineering Director Richard Tornese. The section remaining to be built from MiraLago to Loxahatchee Road is set for completion in the first quarter of 2015.

The University Drive extension is now under construction by a developer and is set for completion at the end of this summer.

Q: We use El Clair Ranch Road daily between Atlantic Avenue and Boynton Beach Boulevard. There are no shopping centers or stores on either side of the road and it’s primarily bordered by entrances to housing developments, most of which have right turn lanes for ease of entrance. Why then is the speed limit 35 mph, when 45 mph would move traffic along more quickly and in a safe manner? Has a speed limit increase ever been considered?

Larry Goodson, Delray Beach

A: Palm Beach County traffic engineers study speed limit requests mainly on residential streets if they get a request.

But earlier this year, Dan Weisberg, the county’s traffic engineer, said he didn’t think he would initiate a study unless there was an indication that a community organization like the Delray Alliance supported an increase in the speed limit on El Clair Ranch.

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