By Jane Smith
The state plans a massive upgrade to the Woolbright Road interchange during a two-year process.
The $8.98 million design-build project is expected to start in August, according to Barbara Kelleher, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Transportation in Southeast Florida.
Woolbright Road will be widened from Southwest 18th Street (west side of the interstate) east to Southwest Second Street. At times only one travel lane would be open in each direction, said Andrea Pacini, spokeswoman for Interstate 95 interchange improvements.
State transportation representatives already met with local public agencies, such as Boynton Beach Fire Rescue.
“Obviously there will be some navigation issues during rush hour and peak travel times,” said Ray Carter, Boynton Beach Fire Chief. “FDOT makes sure we have access, no big problems are expected.”
Carter said the FDOT representatives always contact his department before they start a project and “they keep us informed of changes or delays.”
Plans also call for dual left-turn lanes in both eastbound and westbound directions onto I-95, widening the northbound ramp to receive the dual eastbound turn lanes and transition to one lane, rebuilding the south exit ramp to allow traffic to flow freely onto westbound Woolbright, retrofit bridge railings to meet current criteria for Woolbright Road bridges over I-95 and CSX tracks, and milling and resurfacing Woolbright within the project limits.
Other improvements call for bridge construction, barrier walls, curbs, sidewalks, guardrails, drainage, utility relocation, overhead signs, signage and pavement markings, signals, lighting and retaining walls.
The state won’t have to buy any additional land for this project, Kelleher said.
The design will be led by BCC Engineering Inc.’s Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando offices and the contractor is Community Asphalt Corp.’s West Palm Beach office.
Community meetings will be held in the summer a few weeks before construction starts, Kelleher said.
“I use Woolbright Road. This will hurt in the short term, but it will be good in the long term,” said Jesse Goldfinger, owner of Woolbright Road Farmers Market.
“We are not strangers to construction in South Florida,” he said. “Infrastructure is important. Why don’t they close it down completely and take six months to get it done? I mean — two years, really?”
His market sits just a block east of the construction, but it could become a staging area. He also said he’s happy that roadwork will take place because “traffic is only getting to be worse. As winters get colder up North, more people will come down here.”
As with a few others interviewed for this story, he commented on the increased traffic during the season. “Woolbright Road is a popular interchange. It goes directly to the beach,” he said.
The Florida Coalition for Preservation had not heard about the Woolbright Road project. The coalition is a nonprofit dedicated to quality of life and environmental issues created by continued development of South Florida’s barrier islands and coastal communities.
“I guess when the state is footing the bill, citizens don’t have much input. … Sounds like a mess to me,” said Kristine DeHaseth, coalition executive director. “I hope steps are taken to minimize the overall traffic impacts and the intrusions into neighborhoods by folks trying to avoid traffic gridlock.”
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