Traffic around President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach was moving again Thursday after a bomb scare briefly turned the area into a rush hour headache. Palm Beach County deputies shut down exits off I-95 and key airport access roads while bomb technicians checked out a reported threat near the airport. The gridlock did not last long, and crews reopened the routes once the scene was cleared.
Deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office blocked several ramps and called in the Bomb Squad to inspect a suspicious item, according to WPBF. Investigators found a device that bomb technicians later cleared, the station reported. Authorities have not released any information about possible suspects and say the investigation is still active.
Airport location and official name
The facility is officially known as President Donald J. Trump International Airport and sits just off Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County, according to the Palm Beach County Department of Airports. The airport website lists its address as 1000 James L. Turnage Blvd. in West Palm Beach.
Security context
This is not the first time security concerns have rippled into local traffic. Earlier this year, federal agents temporarily shut down Southern Boulevard to investigate a suspicious elevated hunting stand that had a line of sight to the spot where Air Force One typically parks, as reported by WPTV.
The airport’s renaming in July set off its own firestorm, prompting a wave of public backlash, including threatening messages documented in public records, according to The Daily Beast.
What drivers and travelers should know
Officials reopened the exits once bomb technicians rendered the device safe and urged drivers to check traffic reports before heading to the airport, WPBF reported. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office as the investigation continues.
