WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Drivers navigating downtown West Palm Beach are facing nearly a month of road closures as crews set up for the 44th annual Palm Beach International Boat Show — and frustrated commuters say the disruptions are piling on top of an already congested city.
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Setup for the boat show got underway Sunday, triggering a series of rolling closures along Flagler Drive and surrounding streets that will stretch well beyond the event itself.
Northbound Flagler Drive is currently closed between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Lakeview Avenue to Fern Street through Tuesday.
Starting Wednesday, that closure expands to Banyan Boulevard.
Then, beginning Saturday, March 21, both northbound and southbound lanes of Flagler Drive will be closed from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. up to Second Street through April 1, with additional side street closures expected throughout the next month.
Wayne Lewis, who pulled up on the closure while heading north said he understands the tradeoff.
"It's annoying, but it's part of living in a bustling city," Lewis said. "I mean it's the boat show brings in a lot of business."
Organizers estimate the event will generate $1 billion in economic impact, with hundreds of exhibitors and boats filling downtown West Palm Beach.
The boat show runs March 25 through March 29.
For some residents, though, the closures are the latest in a series of compounding frustrations.
Natalie Zoller, who was walking near the closures, said the boat show setup is adding to an already difficult commute.
"Yes, very challenging," Zoller said. "Lots of traffic going over the bridges, then this road is pretty major for everyone."
Zoller said the boat show closures come on top of various construction projects throughout the city and the now-permanent road closure around Mar-a-Lago — all of which she said adds significant time to her daily commute.
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"There's a ton of cars on the road so it takes longer to get places where it takes like five minutes it could take up to 30 sometimes," Zoller said.
Boat show representatives told me marine units will be stationed in the water and officers will be positioned along the bridges to minimize congestion and prevent extended bridge openings.
Andrew Doole, President of U.S. Boat Shows and Informa Markets, acknowledged the disruptions in a statement.
"We recognize the temporary traffic disruptions that come with hosting an event of this scale," Doole said.
So, what's being done to help?
Doole stated that marine units will be stationed in the water and officers will be positioned along the bridges. But various road closures are expected to continue into April.
"To minimize impacts for residents, we coordinate months in advance with the City of West Palm Beach and the Florida Department of Transportation on road closures and traffic management," Doole said. "We appreciate the continued partnership and patience of the West Palm Beach community as we host ‘America’s favorite boat show.’”
A full list of closures is available on the city of West Palm Beach's website, here.
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