MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — From the Treasure Coast to the Palm Beaches, morning commuters say that driving on Interstate 95 has become a daily test of patience.
WATCH: WPTV reporter Brooke Chau is sorting through the commute that many say feels more crowded than ever
“There’s a lot of traffic. You have to be defensive, you have to be on your game,” said one Port St. Lucie commuter.
Others say the congestion has noticeably grown.
“It’s doubled easily,” said a driver from Okeechobee County. “Bumper to bumper — it’s fight for your life out there.”
Drivers tell me the slowdown ramps up quickly once heading south, especially past Jensen Beach and into Palm Beach County.
"It's never a problem going north to Vero," says a driver from Fort Pierce, "It's always the lanes open up, the craziness does too."
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) data helps explain why.
A key commuter gateway near Donald Ross Road in Jupiter sees more than 126,000 vehicles a day on average, making it one of the most heavily traveled stretches of I-95 in the region.
To better understand what’s happening on the road each morning, we rode along with FDOT Road Ranger Brian, who patrols Martin County down to Jupiter.
“A much higher rate of traffic in the five years I’ve been doing this,” he said.
With more cars comes a higher chance for crashes, stalled vehicles, and debris — even small problems that can quickly snowball into major backups.
According to FDOT's data, I-95 through Boca Raton into Broward County is also one of the busiest stretches of road. Near Southwest 23rd Avenue, more than 218,000 drivers a day pass through.
For comparison, the only spot busier is farther north in West Palm Beach near Congress Avenue — topping 224,000 cars daily.
That’s where Road Rangers step in. They respond to incidents, clear lanes fast, and work to keep traffic moving and drivers safe.
But officials say drivers play the biggest role in preventing slowdowns.
FDOT says the busiest time on I-95 is the morning rush between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., with the most congestion between Martin County and Palm Beach County. Beyond crashes, one of the biggest causes of backups is frequent lane changing.
FDOT's advice from those who work the road every day: slow down, stay alert, and give yourself extra time because safety on the road doesn’t just depend on who’s responding — it depends on everyone behind the wheel.
