PALM BEACH, Fla. — Malfunctions on the Lake Worth bridge are causing unwanted traffic for many Palm Beach County drivers.
Since March 5, half of the lanes on the bridge have been closed due to a malfunction.
WPTV is listening to Palm Beach residents who are frustrated and are looking for answers as their commute times have doubled.
Dave Kaminer lives in the Town of Palm Beach and said this problem comes and goes.
"We have massive backups, trying to get over the bridge in the morning, over the bridge in the afternoon," Kaminer said.
WATCH: How is the Lake Worth bridge malfunction impacting Palm Beach traffic?
"This past weekend, we had the president here in Palm Beach, we couldn’t go north of Southern Boulevard," Kaminer said. "Then, when the bridge opens for a boat, we're prisoners on this great island paradise."
Kaminer is demanding solutions and he’s not alone. John Kaufman commutes from the island and says traffic has been inconvenient.
"It took about 40 minutes to get back from Congress the other day," Kaufman said. "It's normally a 10-minute drive."
Residents added nearby construction has only made matters worse. They want the problem fixed sooner, as the Palm Beach International Boat Show is coming up this weekend. However, FDOT said in a statement that the issue could persist for another month.
"It's easier to get the astronauts back from space than it is to get here on Palm Beach from Lake Worth Beach," Kaminer said.
WPTV got answers from FDOT, who sent us a statement:
“Safety is the Department’s top priority and is embedded in all that we do. On March 5, 2025, the eastbound State Road (SR) 802 Lake Avenue Bascule Bridge over the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in Lake Worth Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida experienced a mechanical issue which has rendered the southern span of the bridge temporarily inoperable. The northern span is operating normally and is temporarily carrying both eastbound and westbound traffic, one lane in each direction. The southern span of the bridge will return to normal operations once a mechanical part is replaced. The part is not commercially available and is being fabricated at an approved FDOT production facility. Re-opening of the southern span is anticipated to occur within the next 3 to 4 weeks, after the new part is machined, installed, and tested.”
