Palm Beach is advocating for changes to bridge schedules to ease traffic congestion caused by frequent openings for barge passage.
Palm Beach: The town is really pushing for changes to how often the bridges open. They’re teaming up with federal and county officials to tackle the traffic mess caused by these openings.
Mayor Danielle Moore recently reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard about this issue. She’s been chatting with the Army Corps of Engineers and others about the unscheduled bridge openings for barges moving between Peanut Island and a restoration project nearby.
In her letter, Moore suggested that the bridges should only open once an hour from 2:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. This is the same schedule that’s in place when security measures for President Trump are active. She wants this to be the norm, even when he’s not around.
Moore mentioned that ideally, they’d prefer no openings during those hours, but they’d appreciate any help given how bad the traffic has become.
Drivers on Royal Poinciana Way have been stuck waiting for barges to pass under the Flagler Memorial Bridge, and it’s been a real hassle. The town is working hard to find ways to lessen the impact of these barges on traffic.
The Coast Guard set up a security zone in August around Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, which affects bridge openings when he’s in town. They changed the schedule in November, limiting openings to once an hour during certain times on weekdays.
Moore has been in meetings with local officials, including the Palm Beach County Administrator and the West Palm Beach Mayor, to address these concerns. They’re planning to send a joint letter to the Coast Guard to back up her request.
Starting the hourly openings earlier would help with school traffic for Palm Beach Public Elementary and Palm Beach Day Academy, Moore noted.
The Bonefish Cove project, which is causing some of these issues, is a joint effort involving several agencies. It’s all about creating new habitats and improving the area, but it’s also causing a lot of barge traffic.
These barges, which are pretty big, can cause six to eight unscheduled bridge openings daily. They move slowly, making it frustrating for drivers stuck waiting.
Officials are aware of the traffic problems and are looking for solutions. The county has set aside funds for the Bonefish Cove project, and they’re open to making changes to help ease the traffic situation.
Frankel, a local representative, is working closely with the Army Corps and Coast Guard to find ways to minimize disruptions. They’re trying to align barge movements with bridge schedules to help out.
While some have suggested night work to reduce barge trips during the day, that’s not safe, according to project managers. They’re focusing on scheduling barge trips as early as possible to avoid rush hour.
Recently, the number of barge trips has decreased due to some operational issues and holiday breaks. The team is committed to working around the bridge schedules to minimize traffic disruptions.
