JUNO BEACH, Fla. — Eastbound Donald Ross Road at the Bascule Bridge was set to reopen after nearly two weeks of repairs, but the reopening has been delayed.
The lanes were supposed to be open again Saturday, but were delayed due to one of the bridge parts and the contractor was unable to restore bridge operations that day, the Palm Beach County Traffic Division said Monday.
The issue has been resolved and the bridge was to return to normal operations on Monday night. However, the eastbound lanes remain closed as of Tuesday morning.
The closure on the westbound side of Donald Ross Road was still scheduled to begin on May 9 and last for about 10 days.
According to a spokesperson for the county, the repairs are expected to cost about $5.7 million.
Rob McGrath, who is the general manager for a Juno Beach restaurant near the beach called Kee Grill, said the construction was a surprise and was hurting his business. McGrath said he doesn't understand the time chosen for the project since he believes this is the last few weeks of "season."
His restaurant already is dealing with closures from the bridge replacement on U.S. 1.
In a news release, Palm Beach County Engineering and Public Works Department initially investigated maintaining two-way traffic on half of the bridge, but found that there was not adequate space to transition traffic back to the correct side before or after the bridge.
"EPW appreciates the community’s patience and understanding throughout this temporary inconvenience, as we work to enhance the safety and efficiency of the county’s infrastructure," the department said.
