JUPITER — Mayor Jim Kuretski said Monday that barring last-minute problems, the U.S. 1 bridge will partially reopen Dec. 30, ending 21 months of rerouted traffic along Jupiter’s waterfront.
The new $122 million span across the Loxahatchee River would have one lane open in each direction ahead of the bridge’s full completion in early 2026.
Inspections will begin on Thursday, Dec. 26, a project spokesperson said. These could last as long as a week or more and change the opening date. Stormy conditions along Jupiter’s beaches also could keep work crews from completing their final tasks.
The Florida Department of Transportation had originally hoped to have one lane open in each direction in November, but Hurricane Milton disrupted the project’s timeline.
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In their latest update, state officials said the bridge should open one lane in each direction by early 2025. However, Kuretski said he learned during further conversations with FDOT officials that the bridge will open the lanes on Dec. 30.
“I’ve been talking to them on a regular basis to make sure it’s still on track,” said Kuretski, an engineer by training, on Monday, Dec. 23. “There’s such excitement in the community. … We should be celebrating this.”
The town plans to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony with FDOT on Monday, Kuretski said. A time will be scheduled this week if the bridge’s partial reopening is on track for Dec. 30.
Kuretski saw traffic-lane markings striped on the bridge on Saturday, Dec. 21, something he called a “tell-tale sign” that the lanes will open soon.
Crews added lane markings along the new U.S. 1 bridge in Jupiter, Fla, on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
More than 100 crew members have worked on the bridge seven days a week for at least 12 hours a day for the past year and a half, Kuretski said. They plan to open all four lanes to drivers in April 2025, he said.
Construction will continue on projects such as a pedestrian walkway under the bridge after the lanes open. All work is expected to be finished in 2026.
“That’s a considerable effort,” Kuretski said. “This bridge is such an improvement over what we had. It’s going to be incredible.”
New Jupiter U.S. 1 bridge will be safer for boaters, bicyclists, pedestrians
Progress is being made on construction of the new $122 million U.S. 1 bridge over the Loxahatchee River and Intracoastal Waterway on July 23, 2024, in Jupiter, Florida.
The bridge’s old span was built in 1958 and its condition deteriorated over time. It shut down on March 13, 2023, and has since been demolished. The closure disrupted the flow of traffic between Jupiter and Tequesta and posed hardships for several businesses along Jupiter’s waterfront.
The new bridge will have two 11-foot vehicle lanes in each direction with 8-foot sidewalks and 7-foot bike lanes on both sides. The old bridge had only a 2-foot shoulder with no sidewalk.
While the new bridge is designed to be safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, it also is meant to be safer for boaters, with more room for vessels to pass beneath it. The old bridge had a vertical clearance of 25 feet for boat traffic.
The new one will rise to 42 feet. That change will allow for 44% fewer bridge openings, which will improve the flow of traffic on U.S. 1, FDOT has said.
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jupiter bridge: US 1 lanes set to open to drivers, traffic