PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Western Palm Beach County residents packed an emergency meeting Tuesday night, demanding answers about a planned railroad repair project that could shut down a major intersection for several days in mid-July.
Freight train company CSX is expected to begin emergency repairs at the intersection of Northlake Boulevard and Beeline Highway, a critical route for thousands of drivers. Officials say the closure could begin as early as Friday, July 18. While it was previously expected to last for 8 days, they are now saying it will only be closed for 5.
WATCH BELOW: WPTV's Michael Hoffman attended the meeting
“We are literally going to be trapped like prisoners,” one resident said during public comment.
The Indian Trail Improvement District hosted the meeting, drawing hundreds of residents both in person and on Zoom. The biggest concern: how traffic will be handled once the detour routes go into effect.
“It would be really good if we had specific plans,” one woman said. “And maybe law enforcement could actually be there to help us with that.”
Board members say residents will receive at least three weeks’ notice before the work begins.
To manage congestion, district officials passed a resolution to increase law enforcement patrols and temporarily close some local roads during peak hours to discourage cut-through traffic.
“People are going to take these little detours because they don’t want to sit in that line of cars,” said board president Elizabeth Accomondo. “They’re going to end up either at a dead end or get lost—only to get back to the main detour roads. Instead of saving time, they could waste 30 minutes or more.”
District leaders also displayed the Florida Department of Transportation's proposed detour map during the meeting.
Beyond the closure itself, residents took the opportunity to voice long-standing frustration over delayed road projects in the area.
“We must change the priorities,” one concerned resident said. “We must complete existing road projects before allowing any new development until our roads catch up.”
Transportation officials say they are coordinating closely with CSX to ensure repairs are completed before students return to school on August 11.
WPTV will continue to follow this story and bring updates as soon as the official closure date is announced.
