Residents weigh in on I-95, Southern interchange plans

FDOT options include flyovers, wider ramps and new sidewalks.

WEST PALM BEACH — Fl or i da Department of Transportation officials got an earful from residents Thursday evening about proposed changes for the Interstate 95 interchange at Southern Boulevard.

The state is considering several options at the interchange as traffic projections show a surge in cars traveling the area over the next two decades. More than 90 residents, local public officials and business owners packed a conference room at the Hilton hotel near Palm Beach International Airport to share their thoughts on the project, which is in the early planning stages.

Among the options the state is studying: a flyover for traffic exiting northbound I-95 onto we s t b o u n d S o u t h e r n B o u l e - vard; a flyover for traffic entering northbound I-95 from eastbound Southern; both flyovers; widened entrance and exit ramps to I-95; bike lanes; new sidewalks; and improved lighting in some spots.

Several residents voiced concerns that while FDOT’s study includes the intersection of Parker Avenue and Southern Boulevard, it does not include changes to Parker north of the intersection — only to the south.

Jose Rodriguez, a resident of West Palm Beach’s historic Vedado neighborhood, said he wants to see the city work with FDOT to fix what he said is “a mess” on Parker north of Southern.

Anson Sonnett, FDOT project manager, said FDOT had included Parker north of Southern in its initial study, presented at a kickoff meeting last year. However, Sonnett said, the feedback at that time was different.

“People were saying, ‘Why are you doing that on Parker when the county just did work there?’ ” he said, referring to a project completed about five years ago that narrowed Parker between Southern and Belvedere Road from four lanes to two, with a turn lane in the middle at many points.

Now, he said, FDOT will discuss the segment the next time planners meet with the city.

Rodriguez also cited a need to consider the aesthetics of the project — which could include flyovers that Vedado residents may be able to see from their backyards. “Progress is good, but it has to be responsible,” he said.

Other attendees at the workshop said they were worried the project may have a negative effect on the tiny towns of Glen Ridge and Cloud Lake, which sit to the southwest of the interchange.