A father and two children slosh through a flooded sidewalk along A1A after an Aug. 31 downpour. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Roadwork delays — along with standing water — raise concern
Related: Highland Beach: Sewer lining project could begin soon (fingers crossed)
By Rich Pollack
Construction on State Road A1A through Highland Beach is likely to continue for at least two more months, frustrating residents and town leaders who are weary of travel delays — and flooding that they say is now worse than before work began.
Originally scheduled to be completed by May, the $8.3 million Florida Department of Transportation project that began in July 2024 could be still going on through October, according to Highland Beach Town Manager Marshall Labadie, who met with FDOT representatives in late August.
“Extending construction by six months and asking for patience of residents is a tall ask,” Labadie said. “Unfortunately, it appears to be our only option.”
The delays could mean the project — which has come with lane closures and traffic backups — will continue just as part-time residents return.
“Now they’re going to be eating into the season with more traffic, more slowdowns and more bottlenecks,” resident John Shoemaker said.
The delays in completion of the 3.35-mile-long project are likely to also push back a Highland Beach sanitary sewer lining project that will start once the FDOT work on A1A is completed. That work will be trenchless and will not affect the improved roadway. Town officials had planned to begin the sewer lining before the end of September, but then learned of FDOT’s latest timeline.
State FDOT representative did not respond to emails regarding the cause of the road project delays.
A deluge of concern
Shoemaker, along with several other residents, has also been outspoken about concerns over A1A flooding that followed heavy rains in August.
One of the main objectives of the road project — from just south of Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach to the Highland Beach border with Boca Raton — was to reduce street flooding.
Residents and town leaders, however, say that’s not happening and didn’t happen after a heavy downpour from a thunderstorm on Aug. 23.
“The event we observed had A1A flooding in several locations worse than before construction,” Labadie said. “That had everyone concerned including the town.”
The flooding, he said, was in several sections of the road and on the sidewalks.
“The standing water was deeper and was there longer than usual,” he said.
The town manager said that the standing water on the road was gone within about 24 hours but that the water on the sidewalks remained for several days.
“That caused people to walk in the road,” he said.
Resident Deborah Muller said that after the heavy rain on Aug. 23, water on the sidewalk near her home was almost to the top of her knee-high rain boots.
“The crews are taking care of the roadway, but the water is flooding onto the public sidewalk and onto people’s property,” she said.
State asks for patience
State engineers have said that the flooding issues will improve once the project is completed.
“They asked for patience as this work is finalized and committed to meeting with us again once complete to reassess the problem areas,” Labadie said.
The town manager noted that construction crews have been working on improving swales at the north end of the project and believes that work will soon be taking place in Highland Beach.
Labadie expects to see improvements on the road but even with the improved swales, he foresees long-term issues on sidewalks and in right of ways.
At the same time work is being done on the swales, crews are working on ensuring that driveways will be level with the roadway once a final level of asphalt is applied. In addition to road resurfacing and drainage improvements, the project has included the installation of bike lanes on either side and the extension of the northbound left turn lane onto Linton Boulevard.
“It’s been a great improvement because traffic is not as backed up as it was,” Muller said.
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