Loxahatchee Road, one of the most prominently used roads in Parkland, is getting renovated. Loxahatchee road stretches from SR 817/N to Parkside Drive and services many residents of Parkland. Renovating the road has been a topic of interest since 2017 when designs began being made, and the construction started on Oct. 30. The renovations have been estimated to be completed in the next three years, ending in 2027.
“A large-scale road construction project that will provide traffic calming and increase safety for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians from the easternmost point of Loxahatchee Road,” the City of Parkland said on its website.
Loxahatchee Road is being renovated to improve safety for the community. An estimated $40 million dollars has been put into the improvements. Some of the improvements include three new roundabouts, wider lanes, updated signage, bike lanes and sidewalks.
The project first began in 2017 with designing, and its first day shut down to begin the process was this Oct. 30. The first 18 months will include a full shutdown of Loxahatchee Road, but after that, the city said they will do the best they can to accommodate Parkland residents.
Although this may come as good news for Parkland residents who feel the road has been unsafe, residents will have to detour from the route. To help ease traffic caused by residents making detours, the city will be installing temporary roads throughout construction to accommodate residents. The city has advised not to rely on these temporary roads.
“Lox Road should be considered a road for local traffic only as the project will make Lox Road an unreliable option–and often an impassable option–for a period of three years,” the City of Parkland said.
They have also advised those who do not live off of Loxahatchee Road to avoid it, and those who do will be accommodated with temporary roads and added exit and entrance points from their neighborhoods.
“I have to leave my house earlier every day; I can’t go to Dunkin in the mornings like I used to,” senior Aydan Kelleher said. “The traffic is just insane.”
Loxahatchee Road has had many fatal accidents including one that killed five Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students in 1992, and this past February, another life was lost after a truck driver lost control and crashed into Hillsboro Canal, which borders the road.
These safety renovations come as a relief to many Parkland residents, but bring on the issue of traffic. Due to the renovations, the closure of Loxahatchee Road has caused Holmberg Road, the road that services the majority of Parkland residents who live east, to have more traffic.
“The people that normally go down Lox come down Hillsboro now, and it backs everything up, and I’m late to my soccer games,” sophomore Samantha Calbetta said.
This will be the reality for many Parkland residents. Residents will now have to leave their houses earlier to not be late due to rush hours in the morning and evening. The City of Parkland also spoke about putting in temporary roads during construction.
Since being shut down, the construction team, overseen by the Florida Department of Transportation, has been working during the day, and during night from the hours 8:00 pm – 7:00 am. This is with the exception of the area of Loxahatchee east of Parkside Drive. This decision has been made to not disturb the peace of nearby residents.
The project will not include a noise wall. A noise wall is an exterior structure made out of masonry block and concrete. The purpose is to reduce noise, but the FDOT made the decision not to install one. The choice to not install the noise reducer was due to the cost, and the fact that it would be difficult to install due to the waterway.
Once the project is completed it is said to be a complete makeover including bike lanes,wider car lanes, sidewalks, roundabouts and new guardrails on the northside to provide safety from Hillsboro canal. All improvements are said to be aesthetically pleasing.
