The billion-dollar PortMiami Tunnel, which was supposed to open at the end of May, is now scheduled to open mid-to-late July.
The reason seems to be a safety precaution. Two of the tunnel's 44 installed fans, which control air ventilation, recently broke down after an unknown vibration, the Miami Herald reports. The Florida Department of Transportation says that until the cause of that vibration is known, Mat Concessionaire, which operates the tunnel, cannot open the tunnel.
Many of the tunnel's preliminary tests and inspections have been completed, but the fans are an essential component of the tunnel's safety system in the case of a fire or a toxic spill.
The tunnel's contractor, Bouygues, has to pay a fine of $115,000 to Mat Concessionaire for every day the tunnel remains closed.
