PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — It's been a rough two years for drivers navigating a major road expansion project in western Palm Beach County.
Not only do they have to take in the constant eyesore of construction equipment or deal with detours, they're also getting nailed.
"It cost a tire. I can tell you that because if that goes through a sidewall, they can't fix that. So there goes $200," said Robert Byrnes,
Byrnes lives in the Acreage. He told WPTV News anchor Hollani Davis that large nails in tires are only one of the pains he and his neighbors there and in Loxahatchee are suffering through.
What also irks him are the cut-outs in the road near the canals being made to lay the drainage pipes.
Byrnes says semi trucks and cars are constantly driving over them, keeping him awake.
"You hear it all night long. There's just banging, trailers banging," Byrnes said.
He turned to WPTV at one of our recent Let's Hear It viewer listening sessions to ask, what gives?
The Seminole Pratt Whitney Road project began in Spring 2022. The road project carries an $18 million price tag. The improvement project will extend from Orange Boulevard to Northlake Boulevard. Once it's done, Seminole Pratt will be widened to two lanes in both directions. Part of the revamp will address storm drainage, water quality storage and signage.
The original completion date was this past August, but Palm Beach County Engineer David Ricks said the project has hit some snags and is delayed because of "unexpected conflicts with existing utilities."
The contractor’s revised completion date is now December 2025.
