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All lanes of Okeechobee Blvd. back open

Posted at 8:40 AM, May 15, 2016
and last updated 2019-01-18 16:52:33-05

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -  Eastbound and westbound Okeechobee Boulevard reopened Monday morning to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Construction work at the intersections has been completed. 

The road was shut down while crews worked on the tracks for All Aboard Florida, a new high-speed passenger rail connecting Miami to Orlando.

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If you work in downtown West Palm Beach or plan to head that way Monday, there will be delays.

"A little bit of anxiety about it," said Jill Gallow, who works on Palm Beach and was already late to work on Saturday. "I'm going to have to leave much earlier."

Okeechobee Blvd was shut down while crews work on the tracks for a new high-speed passenger rail.

"I think it's a huge inconvenience," added Gallow.

Both east and westbound lanes of Okeechobee Blvd at Quadrille were scheduled to be closed at the FEC tracks until Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Crews have been working night and day to lay new tracks for All Aboard Florida, the passenger rail expected to connect Miami to West Palm Beach next year.

Meanwhile, there are detours in City Place directing traffic to the west.

"The commute is probably going to be crazy," said Diana Vatamanu, the manager of Village Gourmet Cheese Shop.

She's worried about the closure affecting the fresh ingredients she needs to prepare foods.

"It also affects the deliveries we get with our produce, with our breads in the morning," said Vatamanu. "So everything is going to be delayed."

But some people welcome the construction. "I think for the positive growth of the city that's just something we have to do," said Michele Henry, who lives downtown. "That's just something we have to do. It's four days. It's not that bad."

Jacob Weger, the cook at C-Street cafe, added, "It’s only shut down for a couple days, right, so it’ll work itself out."

Alternate routes to downtown West Palm Beach include Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, Southern and Belvedere.

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