PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is set to present the latest updates surrounding the closure of the intersection of Northlake Blvd and Bee Line Highway to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners.
The presentation will be held on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., where additional information on detours and a potential start date on the CSX project will be announced.
WPTV reporter Michael Hoffman obtained an advanced copy of the presentation.
CSX stated that it needs to make repairs to this railroad to prevent some trains from derailing as they pass through the intersection. That could mean detours adding 32 miles to local commutes. But as FDOT told WPTV, they still don't have an official start date. It could start as early as July 25 or as late as Aug. 1.
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FDOT said it's pushing CSX to change its start date of August 1 to July 25 to avoid impacts on the school year, which starts on August 11.
The Palm Beach County School District shared this statement:
''(The district) is aware of the potential traffic pattern changes next month. Should adjustments be necessary for school operations, we will adjust bus routes and communicate any changes with affected staff and families.”
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County Vice Mayor Sarah Baxter also commented on the presentation. She says it's a good sign that FDOT will look to work on other outstanding projects like the State Road 7 Beeline Highway project while CSX construction goes on.
"We're just waiting for an actual solid date of when it will start," Baxter said. "Residents are already going to suffer from having this road closed. So we can try to make this one less time by getting them done at the same time."
According to FDOT, the final date to begin construction will be announced on July 9.
