Construction on Jupiter, Fla.'s U.S. 1 Bridge is progressing well, with a lane in each direction opening this fall. Meanwhile, FDOT has begun replacing the Peace River Bridge in Polk County to modernize and improve traffic flow.
Photo courtesy of FDOT
The new U.S. 1 bridge will have two 11-ft. vehicle lanes in each direction with 8-ft. sidewalks and 7-ft. bike lanes on both sides.
Construction on the new $122 million U.S. Highway 1 bridge over the Loxahatchee River and Intracoastal Waterway in Jupiter, Fla., has passed a milestone as crews work to reopen a lane in each direction this fall.
Two-thirds of the northern Palm Beach County project is complete, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced in early August. Motorists can see it jut out toward the other side of the river, with its lanes and control house taking shape.
One lane in each direction on the bridge's southbound side — its western half — is currently targeted to open to drivers on Sunday, Nov. 10, along with its bike lane and sidewalk, explained Scott Case, the project's senior engineer, in speaking with the Palm Beach Post.
The structure's remaining lanes are scheduled to open after the new year, and the entire project is on track to end in the spring of 2026.
More than 100 construction personnel are working around the clock on weekdays and weekends, FDOT said.
During August, crews will continue to pour concrete — with about 350 tons poured so far — on the bridge tracks as well as install steel parts on the bridge's piers and sidewalk slabs, and set concrete beams on its approach spans, the Post learned. Workers also are installing foundations for light poles.
Case said that heat is the biggest challenge for crews at the bridge site right now, noting that the summer's 90-degree days and high humidity have made it difficult for the contractor, Johnson Bros. Corp., to keep up with production levels. The team has kept water stations, fans and coolers handy and encourages crew members to take breaks.
He told the Post that if a hurricane threatens the Jupiter Inlet area this storm season, crews will secure parts of the bridge already in place and lower their construction cranes, a process that can take time, Case added. Barges also would be tied together and moved to a protected area.
Construction will not stop in the days leading up to a storm, he promised.
The U.S. 1 bridge closed for construction on March 13, 2023. The previous bridge linking Jupiter and Tequesta, just to the north, was built in 1958 before its condition deteriorated over time, leading to its demolition.
The new U.S. 1 bridge will have two 11-ft. vehicle lanes in each direction with 8-ft. sidewalks and 7-ft. bike lanes on both sides. That is in stark contrast to the old span, which had only a 2-ft. shoulder with no sidewalk.
While the new roadway structure is designed to be safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, it also is meant to be safer for boaters, with more room for vessels to pass beneath it, the Post reported. The old bridge had a vertical clearance of 25 ft. for boat traffic; the new one will rise to 42 ft.
Throughout the project, crews kept the 90-ft. delineated channel near the bridge open to boaters. By the time of its completion, though, it will widen to 120 ft. according to FDOT. That change will allow for 44 percent fewer bridge openings, which the state agency said will improve the flow of traffic on U.S. 1.
FDOT Begins Replacing Peace River Bridge in Polk County
Crews working for FDOT began rerouting traffic Aug. 5 on Florida's County Line Road on the Polk-Hardee county border near Bowling Green prior to the start of an effort to remove a 66-year-old bridge over the Peace River, the Lakeland Ledger reported.
The $5.3 million project is located 1.3 mi. east of the Bowling Green city limits and is expected to take about 13 months to complete, pending weather or other unforeseen circumstances during construction, the transportation department said in a press release.
The existing bridge has two 12-ft. travel lanes, FDOT noted. The new bridge will continue to have a pair of lanes, but with 8-ft. shoulders on each side. Additionally, a maintenance connection road will be built on the north side of County Line Road west of the structure, and new guardrail installation is planned.
The bridge, constructed in 1958, needs replacement due to the poor condition of the substructure. FDOT said the new structure will be built to modern standards and significantly reduce maintenance.
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