Shut since 2014, Flagler turn onto Royal Park Bridge to reopen soon
WEST PALM BEACH — The Florida Department of Transportation will be giving a belated holiday gift to drivers at the intersection of Flagler Drive and Lakeview Avenue in West Palm Beach.
The left-turn lane on southbound Flagler Drive, which has been shut down since May 2014, will be reopened in mid-to-late January, according to the Florida Department of Transportation and the city of West Palm Beach.
This is long-awaited news for people who use that lane to turn onto the Royal Park Bridge to travel to Palm Beach. The lane had been closed during the construction of the Flagler Memorial Bridge, and officials had been anticipating its reopening in the fall after the north bridge was fully operational.
West Palm Beach officials have been pressing for the change, to ease traffic along the waterfront.
Town Manager Tom Bradford said Palm Beach supports the decision. West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County also have signed off on the plan, according to a news release.
So it’s all great news, right? Not entirely.
Adding a left-turn cycle at the light will make the wait longer in every other direction, Bradford said. So people who pass by the intersection, but don’t use it to turn left onto the Royal Park Bridge, are going to have a wait a bit longer.
“The more cycles that are introduced to an intersection, the longer it takes to get to the cycle you happen to be waiting on while in traffic,” he said.
But now that the Flagler Memorial Bridge is again an option for travelers, DOT officials expect the traffic to be a bit lighter at the intersection than it was during construction, according to the West Palm Beach release.
Transportation officials barred the left turn to help the east-west traffic flow on and off the island. Some have said the ban was helpful; others complained about having to maneuver through West Palm Beach side roads and then backtrack to Okeechobee Boulevard to cross the bridge.
A specific date has not been announced for the lane to reopen.