JUPITER, Fla. — The bridge connecting Tequesta and Jupiter along U.S. Highway 1 closed for construction Monday morning.
The bridge will be closed for about 20 months, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The goal of the $122 million project is to add an extra 17 feet of clearance, a navigable channel width of 125 feet and 7-foot bike lanes and concrete barriers to separate people from traffic.
The closure of this bridge over the Loxahatchee River and Intracoastal Waterway has residents in the area concerned about traffic.
"It's going to be a huge traffic impact – like, disaster," a resident told WPTV on the eve of the closure. "It's going to add 15, 20 minutes to every trip."
Drivers and pedestrians who otherwise would've used the bridge will need to take Alternate A1A and will be diverted either eastbound or westbound on Indiantown Road.
"I think it's going to be an impact on the area," another resident said. "Indiantown is always a busy road. Everyone is going to divert over to A1A. But they'll manage. One good thing is all the bars on Love Street are going to have it a lot easier. It'll be like a dead end."
There will be detours guiding people along Indiantown Road to the A1A bridge.
FDOT Detours:
- U.S. 1 northbound motorists will go west on Indiantown Road to Alternate A1A, then north on Alternate A1A to U.S. 1.
- U.S. 1 southbound motorists will go south on Alternate A1A to Indiantown Road, then east on Indiantown Road to U.S. 1.
The bridge is expected to be completed by late 2024.