Drivers along Prosperity Farms Road in North Palm Beach can expect detours in the months ahead when Palm Beach County replaces a bridge just north of Northlake Boulevard.
County commissioners unanimously on July 7 approved a contract with Port St. Lucie-based Cone & Graham for the $8 million replacement of the span across the South Florida Water Management District’s C-17 canal.
Construction will close a north-south route for area residents. The bridge is south of Lighthouse Drive, between Hummingbird Way and Ibis Way. County records did not specify a start date but show that the entire project is expected last for 545 days, nearly 18 months.
New Prosperity Farms Road bridge will have sidewalks, bike lanes
The U.S. Coast Guard, the lead agency reviewing the project, said in a public notice that the county will replace the existing bridge with a new two-lane, fixed bridge about 189 feet long and 80 feet wide. It will have sidewalks on both sides and bike lanes. The new bridge also will drain water more efficiently.
The existing bridge is nearing the end of its service life, the Coast Guard said.
The project has infrastructure sales tax funding and a $4 million grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The Earman River at the project site is considered an estuarine deepwater habitat. The Coast Guard determined the project will have no effect on wetlands.
Julius Whigham II covers northern Palm Beach County and public safety for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Prosperity Farms Road to see detours when county replaces bridge
Reporting by Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
