How southern Palm Beach County will tackle traffic

As West Palm Beach attracted thousands of people after the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not surprising that cities south of Palm Beach County's biggest municipality grew, too. So, too, some of the biggest roads in that section of Palm Beach County have been expanded or modified in terms of major upgrad

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What is the story about?

As West Palm Beach attracted thousands of people after the COVID-19 pandemic, it was not surprising that cities south of Palm Beach County's biggest municipality grew, too.

So, too, some of the biggest roads in that section of Palm Beach County have been expanded or modified in terms of major upgrades since 2020 to add capacity, improve vehicle flow or at least offer alternatives.

Getting onto Interstate-95 from Boca Raton's Glades Road used to mean cramming into one lane on the road, whether going east or west, to get on the highway, causing miles-long traffic jams. With the Florida Department of Transportation's completion of a $148 million diamond interchange in March 2024, traffic at that chokepoint flows much more smoothly.

Another I-95 chokepoint

alleviated by an FDOT project was in Lake Worth Beach in 2025 that added lanes to on-ramps at 6th Avenue South and bicycle lanes to 6th Avenue South itself for a total cost of about $21.9 million.

FDOT also had sidewalks widened on Lake Worth Road west of Congress Avenue and erected concrete barriers to protect bike lanes.

However, the $14 million project led to a rash of crashes as drivers accidentally swerved into the barriers, bursting their tires and skinning their vehicles. White poles were installed last summer to help drivers avoid the barriers.

A cyclist pedals inside the concrete-buffered bike lane along 10th Avenue North in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, on August, 5, 2026.

On I-95, express lanes now reach from Miami-Dade County up to Boca Raton's exits for Glades and Yamato roads. These express lanes are separated by poles and set aside for commuters who pay fees to drive with far less traffic.

Opened in 2014, the tolled lanes separate the highway's leftmost two lanes. Local, state and federal agencies have upgraded some of southern Palm Beach County's largest thoroughfares as well.

North and southbound ramps at exit number 45 to and from the intersection of Interstate 95 and State Road 808 in Boca Raton, Fla., will be closed as work is completed on the new traffic pattern at the exchange. Photographed on January 24, 2023. Glades Road will reopen on Jan. 30 at 6 a.m. after closing on Jan. 27 at 11 p.m.

Three more diamond interchanges are in the design phase for I-95 junctions, The Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning Organization has said.

Construction of a diamond interchange at 10th Avenue North would start in 2032 at earliest, the MPO says, and cost about $25 million. Another at Hypoluxo Road would start in late 2032, for about $154 million. And the third, at Lantana Road, would cost about $144 million, but construction has yet to be scheduled. FDOT will oversee all three projects.

FDOT is also spending nearly $1 billion upgrading the Florida Turnpike throughout Palm Beach County as well. That money comes from Turnpike tolls.

FDOT is building a new lane in the north and south directions of the Turnpike between Glades Road and the Sawgrass Expressway in Broward County, expected to be finished by the end of 2029.

Traffic travels south on I95 near Hypoluxo Road during rush hour. Driving the 25 miles of I-95 between 10th Avenue North in Lake Worth Beach and Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton can take 40 to 55 on August, 5, 2026.

FDOT is also expanding the Turnpike from Boynton Beach Boulevard to Lake Worth Road to four lanes in each direction, expected to be done by the end of 2026.

Two lanes will also be added to the Turnpike from the service plaza just north of Lake Worth Road to Okeechobee Boulevard, expected to be finished by the end of 2030.

FDOT is also planning to widen the highway for four miles north of Glades Road. The department expects to start work on that section in late 2027. It has not estimated a cost for the project yet.

Despite upgrades, congestion exists

As cities such as Lake Worth Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton grew, so too did traffic on the biggest roads and the stretches of I-95 in South County.

Driving the 25 miles of I-95 between 10th Avenue North in Lake Worth Beach and Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton can take 40 to 55 minutes between 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., or 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Google Maps directions show.

View of southbound off-ramp road construction at 6th Avenue South and I-95 in Lake Worth Beach, Fla., on June 17, 2025.

Driving the 22 miles of Dixie Highway between Lake Worth Beach's northernmost point to Mizner Park in Boca Raton can take up to 1 hour and 20 minutes in the morning and evening rush hours, Google Maps directions show.

As the agency managing I-95 and most large roads in Palm Beach County, FDOT continues to commission widening and expansion of roads along the highway and roads.

The state transportation agency is also installing more bus stops with roofs along U.S. 1from Boca Raton to West Palm Beach. The latter is expected to be complete by spring 2027 at a cost of $5.1 million, the agency says.

Email news tips to Chris Persaud at cpersaud@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How southern Palm Beach County will tackle traffic