Expect delays at 17 railroad crossings from West Palm to Jupiter as Brightline activates new track
Katherine Kokal
JUPITER — Northern Palm Beach County drivers should be prepared to stop along Brightline rail crossings this week as the company activates its second rail track.
Brightline will commission the second track along 13 miles of railroad in the county, which means crews will be flagging drivers at 17 railroad crossings from West Palm Beach to Jupiter until 6 p.m. Friday.
Drivers and pedestrians should expect longer wait times, and once the track is active, for freight traffic on both sets of tracks.
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In a news release, the company said it is "reminding the public, pedestrians, motorists and cyclists to make safe choices around trains and crossings, obey all traffic laws around crossings and never stop on the tracks."
The passenger-rail company that is expected to one day connect Miami to the Orlando area has been busy laying a second railroad track through northern Palm Beach County and running test trains on local railbeds. Brightline announced in August that the expansion to Orlando was 60% complete and will be finished in late 2022.
Brightline service has been suspended since early 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Trains between West Palm Beach and Miami will restart in November, and the company plans to introduce a shuttle and ride-sharing service to help passengers get to and from train stations.
The company also plans to employ private drivers to staff cars, shuttles and, in some cases, electric golf carts to connect riders with their local stations.
Railroad crossings in North Palm Beach County
The following railroad crossings will be affected by the work this week:
Jupiter
- Center Street (State Road A1A)
- Indiantown Road (State Road 706)
- Toney Penna Drive
- Frederick Small Road
Palm Beach Gardens
- Donald Ross Road
- Hood Road
- Kyoto Gardens Drive
- RCA Boulevard
- Burns Road
- Lighthouse Drive
Lake Park
- Richard Road
Riviera Beach
- Northlake Boulevard (State Road 809)
- Park Avenue
- Silver Beach Road
- Blue Heron Boulevard (State Road 708)
West Palm Beach
- Flagler Street (West 13th Street)
- Inlet Boulevard/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (State Road 710)
This week's work comes on the heels of a summer full of Brightline construction and closures.
Brightline closed the Loxahatchee River Bridge in Jupiter for two days in early August, not allowing boats to pass underneath while crews worked on the 95-year-old bridge.
Meanwhile, Brightline is constructing new stations in Boca Raton and Aventura. The Boca Raton station is scheduled to open in the summer of 2022.