PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV is hearing from drivers in western Palm Beach County dealing with daily traffic troubles on Northlake Boulevard.
The work to expand the busy road from six to eight lanes is part of a larger project on the Beeline Highway.
Commuters told WPTV reporter Michael Hoffman on Friday that sitting in standstill traffic on Northlake Boulevard is one of the worst parts of their day. The road is a major connector from western communities to places east of Interstate 95.
And lately, drivers said it's turned into a parking lot.
Eric Garner, who owns Big Tex BBQ Food Truck on Northlake Boulevard, said the growth of the area over the years has been great for business, but that went up in smoke when the construction started.
"Going eastbound in the mornings, (drivers are stopped)," Garner said. "[The traffic has] had a really negative impact, about 50% for about four weeks."
And he's not alone
Commuter Steve McPherson calls Northlake Boulevard "Cone Boulevard" because of the multitude of traffic barrels on the road.
"It's the bottleneck for me going back and forth between Wellington and neighborhoods like Ibis," commuter Chase Haigh said.
"On a scale of one to 10, how frustrating is this?" Hoffman asked.
"It's a 10," Haigh said. "There's Facebook pages just dedicated to the headaches of Northlake."
WPTV spoke with a Florida Department of Transportation representative who said the work on Northlake Boulevard is part of a $150 million project spanning 3 miles of the Beeline Highway.
It's one of several projects in the works to ease the congestion for east-west travelers. Palm Beach County Commissioner Sara Baxter said it's sorely needed.
"Acreage and Loxahatchee residents need ways in and out of the community that make sense for everyone," Baxter said.
For Garner, he just hopes things move along.
"Hopefully they're done with the road construction soon," Garner said.
Unfortunately for Garner, FDOT said the work is just getting started and is not expected to be complete until the end of 2029.
