PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The closures and construction on Northlake Boulevard and Beeline Highway kick off on Friday.
WPTV is listening to the concerns of Loxahatchee residents worried about construction, detours and closures coming in just days.
WATCH BELOW: 'It's really impacting the way of life that we chose to have out here,' Grace Wilson tells WPTV
The stretch along Northlake Boulevard, west of Beeline Highway through Seminole Pratt Whitney Road right now is littered with construction trucks, traffic cones, detour signs, and drivers filled with anticipation knowing this is just the beginning of what some are calling a 60 day nightmare.
"We don't drive here during rush hour, but this road gets pretty backed up,” said resident Loui Alkhouri, stopping at C&P Growers along Northlake Boulevard to get ice for a beach day with his family.
It's one of his final drives through Northlake Boulevard, before the congestion gets worse when the Friday Beeline Highway closures clash with construction and detours that are already underway at the Seminole Pratt Whitney intersection.
"We only come down this way if we’re heading more north," said Alkhouri.
"If you have to go north what’s your plan with all the closures?" asked WPTV's Joel Lopez.
"I haven’t really though that far to be honest, kind of go with the flow?" said Alkhouri.
"Time to start looking at the detours?" asked Lopez.
"Yeah," said Alkhouri.
WATCH BELOW: When will Northlake Boulevard close for CSX railroad project?
WPTV did some digging into the project and learned 70,000 drivers rely on the Northlake Boulevard and Beeline Highway intersection each day.
However, it will close Friday night at 8 p.m. for 9 days and stay closed until August 10.
The project is to allow CSX to complete a railroad track replacement.
Nearly nine miles west, crews are widening Northlake Boulevard and taking the stop signs at the intersection with Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and installing traffic lights to alleviate the congestion.
Palm Beach County officials released details detouring drivers headed west on Northlake Boulevard to turn south on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
Drivers headed north on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road will have to detour right onto Northlake Boulevard.
The county said the following detour routes are in effect for residents living north of Northlake Boulevard:
- For those traveling southbound on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, the detour route is south to Murcott Boulevard, west to Banyan Boulevard, south to Hamlin Boulevard and east to Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. The reverse is in effect going northbound.
- For those traveling westbound on Northlake Boulevard to access Seminole Pratt Whitney Road northbound, the detour route is north onto Apache Boulevard, west on Tangelo Boulevard and north on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. The reverse is in effect to access eastbound Northlake Boulevard, when traveling southbound on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
WATCH BELOW: Residents raise concerns about major road closures
The construction is just of where Grace Wilson has lived for the last four-and-a-half years.
She's worried the roads along the detours will be damaged with all the added traffic and said construction crews have made her once quiet neighborhood noisy, and full of dust and debris.
"With this construction we can’t even get out of our road, it’s terrible," said Wilson. “There’s only two routes, you either go down Seminole Pratt or up Northlake, so everyone is going to funnel.”
She was at home is recovering from back surgery at the time of our interview, and expressed concerns about Friday closures, when she has a follow up doctor appointment down in Boca Raton.
"I don’t know how I’m going to get there. I’ll have to go like two hours early or something," said Wilson. "It's really impacting the way of life that we chose to have out here."
Construction is expected to last for the next two months.
Engineering and Public Works said this temporary inconvenience and these efforts are aimed at enhancing the safety and efficiency of the county’s infrastructure.
For more information and latest updates on this project, click here.
Read more of WPTV's coverage on traffic detours on Northlake Boulevard below:
Traffic News
Northlake Blvd., Beeline Hwy. intersection to be closed starting Aug. 1
Traffic News
When will Northlake Boulevard close to CSX project?
Traffic News
'I think it's awful': Closure of Northlake Boulevard delayed until Aug. 1
Traffic News
We drove the Northlake detours: How long does it take?
Traffic News
'We're going to be trapped': Residents raise alarm over road closure
Traffic News
Businesses on Northlake Blvd. say potential 34-mile detour could be devastating
Traffic News
