West Palm Beach residents and visitors need to brace themselves for a series of road and dock closures that will affect traffic and waterway access starting Thursday, May 9th, 2024. The City of West Palm Beach has announced an extensive list of roadworks and infrastructure improvements which will require patience and careful planning from the local community.
According to a recent release from the City of West Palm Beach Engineering, Public Works & Utility, several roads will be closed due to upgrades to the streetscapes, underground utilities, and storm drainage systems. Washington Road, for example, will be off-limits between Roosevelt Place and Royal Palm Road as construction is extended through May 2024. A spate of detours have been put in place to redirect the flow of traffic—northbound Washington Road traffic is advised to take a westward turn on Greenwood Drive to Olive Avenue, then making their way north to Almeria Road and eastward to Flagler Drive.
The downtown area will also feel the effect of these closures as the 300 and 500 blocks of North and South Clematis Alleyways will be fully closed for underground utilities improvements, as per the same City announcement. This is set to continue through May and July 2024, respectively. For boaters, the Clematis Street Docks will remain open daily, providing some respite amidst the flurry of adjacent infrastructural work.
The Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT) isn't one to be left out of the urban overhaul agenda. Significant improvements are slated for Belvedere Road near the I-95 connection, with lane closures expected during both the day and nighttime. Additionally, the SR 710/Beeline Highway is undergoing a tremendous reconstruction project that started March 18, 2024, which will continue for several years, causing daily lane closures. This impressive project will expand the highway from 4 to 6 lanes among other enhancements aimed to bolster the transportation infrastructure significantly. A detailed list of closures and detours can be found on the City's website.
These changes are taking a toll not only on everyday commuters but also on the myriad of local events that give West Palm Beach its vibrant character. 'Clematis by Night with Mini Market', a staple Thursday event, has been constrained to reconfigure its layout within the space left unoccupied by closures on North & South Clematis Streets. The pattern of accessibility is set to shift weekly, subject to the whirling dervish of construction that besets the town.
For those looking for further information on the road closures in and around West Palm Beach, the Palm Beach County and the FDOT have made resources available to the public to help mitigate the disruption these closures invariably cause to the cadence of city life.
