Two lanes of U.S. 1 in Tequesta to close
Permanent shrinkage will provide better turn lanes, drainage.
Outside northbound and southbound lanes affected as part of a $3.2 million project to reconfigure 1.4 miles of road.
TEQUESTA — A $3.2 million project to reconfigure 1.4 miles of road on U.S. 1 between Beach Road and County Line Road has permanently closed the outside northbound and southbound lanes.
Two lanes will remain in either direction as part of the Florida Department of Transportation project, which began in November and is expected to be complete by the end of this year.
In addition to the permanent lane closures, work also will include widening turn lanes, adding buffered bike lanes and patterned pavement crosswalks, milling and resurfacing the roadway, widening and replacing sidewalks, drainage and lighting improvements, pedestrian and mast arm signalization, vehicle detection systems, signage and pavement marking upgrades.
The work is being performed by J.W. Cheatham, LLC, a heavy highway general contractor based in West Palm Beach.
The project is part of the “Complete Streets” national initiative that configures roadways to allow equally safe passage for motorized vehicles, bicycle riders and pedestrians.
The mile-and-a-half stretch of U.S. 1 in Tequesta is the only section in the nearly 28 miles from Port Salerno south to North Palm Beach that has six lanes used for vehicular traffic, Mayor Abby Brennan said Monday.
U.S. 1 has four lanes for motorized vehicles along that stretch, she said, and most sections include a small area of road reserved for bicycle riders, or a multi-use path that allows shared access for pedestrians and cyclists.
Brennan said it was important for Tequesta’s stretch of U.S. 1 to have a similar design.
“It’s all about making passage safe for everybody, and that would include drivers and pedestrians and also bicycle riders,” she said. “It was all about safety for everyone.”
Another roadway improvement project will affect Tequesta motorists beginning next month.
The Tequesta Drive Railroad crossing at Tequesta Drive and Old Dixie Highway will close Aug. 18 for four days as crews demolish the existing crossing surface and replace it with new roadway pavement.
For information, visit the village’s website at www.tequesta. org.