PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — There are traffic concerns for drivers along Northlake Boulevard in western Palm Beach County.
CSX said in mid-July that it will begin emergency repairs on the railroad tracks where the boulevard intersects with the Beeline Highway.
The repairs will come with road closures and detours that are expected to last for days.
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WPTV is digging deeper into the decision to do those repairs and has listened to the concerns of area residents.
There's no date set yet for when the emergency repairs will start, but we know the repairs will happen on or after July 18. The repairs will take at least eight days and will begin on a Friday evening.
FDOT and Vice Mayor Sarah Baxter told WPTV that CSX will provide a three-week advanced notice of the closure. First responders will be allowed through the closure, but no other drivers. This will cause hours of detours.
In a preliminary draft of detour routes, FDOT is considering alternatives that could stretch up to 34 miles.
In a statement, CSX told WPTV:
"As part of Palm Beach County’s Beeline Highway reconstruction project, CSX will improve the crossing surface at Northlake Boulevard and install modern crossing signal equipment to support the county’s road widening plan. CSX invests heavily in railroad infrastructure maintenance and upgrades to ensure the safe and reliable movement of trains, as well as the safety of our employees and the communities we serve. This work will be scheduled in close coordination with the county and state road authority. CSX understands that the temporary crossing closure will be a short-term inconvenience for motorists and appreciates the patience of Palm Beach County residents during these critical infrastructure upgrades."
The upcoming closure has sparked concern and frustration from residents and drivers.
"Dude! That's actually mind-blowing," driver Robert Schwarz said. "You can't shut down all three lanes, man. Like, what are we gonna do?"
"There is a better way to do it," said Dennis Campbell. "We flew to the moon 40 years ago, didn't we?"
"It's gonna be more frustrating when it really happens," George Levy said.
Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Sarah Baxter is among those calling for long-term solutions as the region prepares for the impact.
"People will have to travel south through The Acreage and Loxahatchee area — and how long is that? A long time," Baxter said. "We already have huge congestion problems. This is just gonna add to it. People need to get to work. People need to get in and out of their homes. And so this has been a huge concern. But it also does lead to why we absolutely need the State Road 7 extension."
Hoffman also reached out to the Indian Trail Improvement District, another area hit hard by the closure. The district's president, Elizabeth Accomondo, said that for those with questions, an emergency meeting next week has been set.
"Regardless, we're probably looking at adding an hour to people's commute, which is already too long at this point," Accomondo said. "So, how are we going to address that?"
For those who can't attend the meeting in person, an online Zoom option will be available.
