Construction nearly over, so what's new on this stretch of road in the Lake Worth area?
- Lake Worth Road in Palm Beach County now features concrete barriers protecting bike lanes.
- The project also includes a new traffic light and crosswalk at the Home Depot.
Traffic should flow faster and bicyclists should feel much safer on a busy stretch of road cutting through Lake Worth and Palm Springs, state officials say, now that it has real barriers protecting bike lanes, and fewer crossings with side streets.
Lake Worth Road between Congress Avenue and just west of Military Trail is now the first state-maintained road in Palm Beach County to feature thin, concrete curb-like barriers protecting its bike lanes in the central part of the county, where it's common to see adults pedaling up and down the sidewalks.
Lake Worth Road barricades should be gone this month
Miami-based Zahlene Enterprises, contracting with the road's owner, the Florida Department of Transportation, started work on the strip in November 2022, with final touches to finish this month, the state agency has said.
Before construction, bicycle riders' safest option was pedaling on the sidewalks, wide enough for two pedestrians, because only a strip of white paint separated the road's bike lane from the tons of vehicles driving by, usually at more than 45 mph.
Cyclists are not yet using the protected bike lanes. Orange-and-white barrel-shaped traffic barricades still sit on the barriers. Cyclists now ride on the newly widened sidewalks, enough for three or four people.
Construction crews also installed a new traffic light and crosswalk at the Home Depot-Pep Boys strip mall east of Military Trail.
One point of confusion on the new Lake Worth Road comes eastbound, just before Congress Avenue. The right lane morphs into a right-turn only lane, but just before then, the road has no dividing line between the right and middle lanes. This sometimes leads to near-crashes. One such incident happened May 2.
Downtown Lake Worth Beach's roads got upgrades, too
Lake and Lucerne avenues in downtown Lake Worth Beach, from Golfview Road to the roundabout at A Street, also have prominent bike lanes now — green in some areas — but with no physical barrier separating them from parked cars on the street to their right or regular traffic on their left.
The traffic lights at the Dixie Highway intersection at both avenues are now mounted on hurricane-strength traffic pole arms.
Miami-based General Asphalt Co. worked on the project, contracting with the Transportation Department, which owns and maintains both roads. Work started in February 2024 and ended last month, the department said.
The companies working on both of these projects also upgraded crosswalk pedestrian signal systems, replaced or added road signs, added sidewalk curb ramps where there were none to meet federal disability standards and repaired pipes and water mains underground, the Transportation Department said.
Biden administration helped pay for upgrades
The department budgeted $14 million for the Lake Worth Road project, with $2.9 million coming from the federal Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act that then-President Joe Biden signed in 2021. Every county member of Congress voted for the bill except U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, a Republican whose district includes north county and the Treasure Coast.
The Lake and Lucerne avenue upgrades and repairs cost $5.4 million, the Transportation Department has said.
Chris Persaud covers transportation for The Palm Beach Post. Email news tips and ideas to cpersaud@pbpost.com.