JUPITER, Fla. — On Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Highway 1 bridge in Jupiter reopened after safety inspections. It has one lane open in each direction as of now.
“We’re super excited," stated resident Dave Dillon. "Very happy to finally have it open and be able to just make a short trip across the water now instead of having to go all the way around.”
In a phone call with WPTV reporter Victor Jorges on Monday night, Jupiter Mayor Jim Kuretski said the bridge at U.S. Highway 1 could open one lane in each direction as early as Tuesday, given the bridge passes all inspections and is deemed safe for drivers.
“For all the local businesses, our gym, the restaurants, everyone here in the village of Tequesta, everyone’s really excited to get more business back and bring people from that side over to this side and support the local business," stated resident Amanda Dillon.
We know this closure has caused a lot of headaches for drivers and businesses for nearly two years. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) says the bridge has been closed for 20 months.
The restoration of this bridge started in October 2021, and has an expected completion time of early 2026 with a price tag of $122 million. The bridge has been closed since March 2023.
Jupiter
'The gateway into the town of Jupiter': US 1 bridge nearing the end of Phase 1
WPTV spoke to Jupiter resident James Dickinson who said the delays and closures might be worth the wait if the bridge sees major improvements.
“Overall it worked out better than I thought it would, but certainly it would be much more convenient to have that bridge open for everyone, it cuts out a lot of time and a lot of traffic,” he said.
He also hopes to see improved conditions for those riding bikes and walking across the bridge.
“What could be very exciting is that it seems like it’ll be advanced," he said. "Bikes can actually drive safely, while the cars won’t feel intimidated by the bikes. That’s what I think we’re going to see on this bridge."
According to FDOT, the replacement bridge will consist of two 11-foot travel lanes in each direction, 8-foot sidewalks and 7-foot bike lanes in both directions. Pedestrians will be separated from traffic with permanent concrete barriers.
“There’s another year of construction so there will be additional lane closures, stated Mereditch Cruz, Community Outreach Specialist. "Obviously we have to finish the east side of the bridge, open the bike lanes and all of that so we just ask everyone drive safely through he work zone as it will be active for another year.”
The mayor also said that even though the opening of one lane in each direction has been delayed, the overall timeline of the project is ahead of schedule.
