What to do about the US 1 Bridge in Jupiter? It was the focus of a public hearing Tuesday night in Jupiter.
It’s the bridge that goes over the Loxahatchee River to Beach Road and connects the Town of Jupiter to the Village of Tequesta.
RELATED: Partial bridge collapse raises concerns
The Florida Department of Transportation has deemed the bridge structurally deficient.
For a new business like Belle and Me in Jupiter, which is situated at the foot of the bridge, it’s a little unsettling for the owner Sarah Brown to learn that the bridge most likely needs to be replaced.
“Our biggest advertisement is just drive, by foot traffic and word of mouth,” said Brown.
For Brown, there’s an extra layer worry if the bridge even gets partly shutdown for construction.
“I want it to be fixed, obviously, for my safety and everyone else,” said Brown. “There are concerns about if it’s going to affect business.”
Matthew Brown is the general manager of Lynora’s just a few storefronts down.
“The first thing I heard about it was when I got the letter,” said Brown. “I read it and it sounded like it was something that needed to be done."
That letter was a notice for that FDOT public hearing Tuesday night about the bridge project.
According to FDOT, the bridge is 59-years-old.
While Brown is less concerned about the impact on Lynora’s business, still fresh on his mind is the partial bridge collapse of this US 1 bridge in North Palm just last week.
As for the Jupiter bridge, Brown says he’d like to see it happen fast, even if it means shutting down the entire bridge.
“I’d rather them just shut it down and get it done as fast as possible rather than prolong it."
