MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Traffic congestion along Monterey Road in Martin County has long been a concern for residents, particularly near the railroad crossing at Southeast Dixie Highway. Now, transportation officials are exploring potential solutions and asking the public to weigh in.
Monterey Road is a heavily traveled corridor where vehicle flow is frequently disrupted by trains passing through the crossing more than 30 times a day. During peak traffic times, backups can quickly build and extend along the roadway.
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"Especially between the train tracks and US-1, you don’t have a whole lot of area there for stacking up," said Martin County resident Barkley Hempel.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), is in the early stages of a long-term improvement project focused on Southeast Monterey Road and nearby connecting streets.
“They need to do something, or it’s just going to get worse,” said resident James Bryant.
The agency is currently studying potential design changes and gathering community feedback.
“The main purpose of the project is to address the railroad crossing,” project manager Robert Lopes said.
Residents say the area can also be difficult to navigate, noting that the road splits into multiple directions near the crossing.
“It’s too close to the railroad tracks to have that, whatever it is, 3 or 4 points come together right there,” Hempel said.
Among the options under consideration is the construction of a bridge to separate road traffic from rail traffic. Officials say both overpass and underpass concepts are being evaluated.
“The previous studies that we referenced earlier in the presentation gave the options of either going over the railroad crossing or under the railroad crossing, but we are still building off those options,” Hempel said.
While plans are still preliminary, proposed improvements also include roadway redesigns, as well as the addition of sidewalks and bicycle lanes.
Residents say a solution is needed, regardless of the final design. FDOT is encouraging community members to submit feedback through its website as the project moves forward.
