HOBE SOUND, Fla. — A proposed highway interchange near SE Bridge Road could bring long-term traffic relief to commuters in Martin County, according to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The plan aims to improve connectivity and reduce congestion between I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike.
If you've driven I-95 near Hobe Sound during peak hours, you're likely familiar with the heavy traffic.
“It’s horrendous," commuter Robert Wickes said. "If you don’t head out at the right time, you can be stuck there, and it’s just stop-and-go traffic."
WATCH: Commuters express the need for new interchange in Martin County
During a presentation at the Martin County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, FDOT officials outlined the potential benefits.
“The purpose of the potential interchange is to improve system linkage, enhance safety, emergency response and evacuation,” said Martin County Public Works Director Jim Gorton.
FDOT estimates the proposed interchange would remove 15,600 cars per day from the crossover in Jupiter at West Indiantown Road, and 3,000 vehicles per day from the crossover in Palm City at Southwest Martin Highway. These interchanges are often used by drivers looking for quicker routes.
Maggie Veksler commutes daily from Boca Raton to Stuart and uses a crossover at least three days a week.
“There’s times when traffic is just blocked and it takes me forever,” Veksler said. “[It's] pretty bad to get home. It takes me anywhere from like an hour and a half to two hours usually when it should take like only an hour and 15."
Amid plans for a potential new interchange, several drivers expressed optimism.
“They really do need more interchanges along the way since the span of the exits are so far apart,” Robert Nesenman said.
Following public meetings held in July 2024, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise selected a preferred design that includes four direct connections at an estimated cost of $156 million. However, the plan is still in the early stages, and officials say it could be up to a decade before construction is complete.
Even so, the idea of a new route has commuters hopeful that it will bring relief, something that's long overdue.
The next milestone for the project is a public hearing, which FDOT plans to host in October as part of its public outreach.
