TRANSPORTATION

The project team will work to minimize impacts to both vehicular and marine traffic during construction. In order to maintain two lanes of traffic over the Intracoastal Waterway, a temporary bridge will be built adjacent to and on the north side of the existing bridge. Traffic will be shifted onto the temporary bridge as the old bridge is demolished and the new bridge is built on that alignment. Traffic will be moved onto the new bridge when completed and the temporary bridge will be removed.

When the Tidal Relief bridge is replaced the traffic will be shifted to the south side of the existing bridge as the north side is demolished and half of the new bridge is built. Once that side is completed traffic will be shifted onto the new Tidal Relief bridge, the south side of the old bridge will be demolished and the second half of the replacement bridge will be built.

Marine traffic will be maintained at all times. The Intracoastal Waterway bridge will continue to open on the quarter-hour and three-quarter hour schedule.

Construction began in April 2017 with completion anticipated by summer 2023.

The existing bridges will be demolished and removed. The department partnered with Palm Beach County to have some portions of the existing bridges used as artificial reef.

The PD&E Study considered several alternatives, including low and mid level movable bridges and a fixed high level bridge. These bridge types were analyzed with several horizontal alignment options. The preferred alternative was finalized upon receipt of Location and Design Concept Acceptance (LDCA) by the Federal Highway Administration on May 12, 2009.

The current construction cost estimate includes temporary bridge, replacement of the Intracoastal and Tide Relief bridges, adjacent roadway and causeway improvements and is approximately $97 million.

Johnson Bros. Corp. is constructing the western abutment and bulkhead for the replacement bascule (movable) bridge. Johnson Bros. Corp. is completing work on the bridge tender house and the fender system. The north side of Southern Boulevard and Flagler Drive north of Southern Boulevard is being reconstructed. Drainage is being installed on Flagler Drive. Flagler Drive between Southern Boulevard and Monroe Drive is closed and a detour is in place.

Bold landscaping will be planted within the project corridor following completion of the bridge replacements and associated roadway improvements.

The recreation areas will remain open to the public during construction with a reduction in the space available for recreational use. Public parking will be relocated when construction affects existing parking areas. The public are prohibited from using any construction zones for recreational use. Construction zones will be identified by signs, barricades and/or fencing.

The replacement bridges will have a wider section in order to accommodate a wider refuge lane or “shoulder” in each direction, as well as wider sidewalks. The number of vehicular lanes will be the same. The replacement bridges will have a higher vertical profile.

The temporary bridge consists of a pre-fabricated vertical lift steel structure at the navigation channel. The temporary fixed bridge approaches consist of a precast concrete deck supported on steel beams and steel pipe piles. The temporary bridge will have a vertical clearance of 14-feet in the closed position and 65 feet in the open position with a 125-foot navigable channel.

The intersection at Flagler Drive will be raised approximately 3 feet in order to connect to the higher bridge profile. A westbound to southbound left turn lane will be added and the southbound to eastbound left turn lane eliminated. All other features of this intersection will remain the same as the existing condition.

Construction along Flagler is limited to the area impacted by the geometric changes to the intersection with Southern Boulevard and to drainage system upgrades. These areas extend approximately 400 feet north and south of the intersection.