The corner of Atlantic Avenue and southbound Federal Highway.
Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Tim Pallesen
Federal Highway will be a traffic bottleneck in downtown Delray Beach this winter as a $12.5 million construction project continues.
A 20-block stretch from George Bush Boulevard to Southeast 10th Street previously had three lanes of traffic in each direction. The highway reconstruction will shrink that to two lanes in each direction to make space for pedestrians and bicyclists.
But road work won’t be finished until next July. Shopkeepers along Federal Highway are frustrated.
“All of this should be finished by now,” said Michelle Esposito, manager of the Bethesda Bargain Box. “The season is about to start.”
Even before the snowbirds arrive, road work this fall has caused traffic backups when only one lane remains open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Project manager Ted Dietz acknowledged that traffic backups can only get worse this winter. “I anticipate that the same (lane closures) will continue,” Dietz said.
His comment came Oct. 14 in the hallway after city commissioners received an update on the construction that began last year.
“I’m glad to hear you are on schedule,” Commissioner Jordana Jarjura told the contractor. “I’m sure people will appreciate it when it’s over.”
City officials hope the transformed Federal Highway will slow traffic and extend Atlantic Avenue’s charm onto the busy roadway. Decorative pavers, street lights and landscaping will beautify a street geared to pedestrians and bicyclists.
Sidewalks that were 5.5 feet wide before will be widened to 11 feet for two blocks on each side of Atlantic Avenue. A new bike lane will be 4 feet wide.
“I love the wider sidewalks and bike lane,” Commissioner Shelly Petrolia said.
The city is paying 60 percent of the construction cost, with the state paying the additional 40 percent.
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