I-95 at Woolbright Road PD&E Study

About the Study

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is conducted a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for SR 9/I-95 from South of Woolbright Road to North of Woolbright Road in Palm Beach County, Florida. The purpose of this project was to address traffic spillback onto I-95, reduce congestion on I-95 and Woolbright Road, improve interchange operations, and improve safety at the I-95 and Woolbright Road interchange through the 2045 design year horizon. This project considered SIS connector improvements needed within the project area and was consistent with plans for the I-95 mainline, including the potential extension of I-95 Managed Lanes through Palm Beach County. This proposed study will investigate alternatives to improve the overall operating conditions and enhance safety within the interchange.

The Interchange of I-95 at Woolbright Road is located in Palm Beach County in the City of Boynton Beach. The project limits along I-95 extend from just south of Woolbright Road at SW 23rd Avenue to just north of Woolbright Road about 2,000-ft north of the interchange. The project limits along Woolbright Road extend from SW 18th Street on the west to just east of I-95 at SW 2nd Street. The project area includes the signalized intersections at SW 8th Street, and the I-95 southbound and northbound ramps. The South Florida Rail Corridor (SFRC)/CSX Railroad is adjacent to the project corridor and runs parallel along the west side of I-95. Tri-Rail operates along this rail corridor, with the nearest station; Boynton Beach Tri-Rail Station located 2.68 miles to the north of Woolbright Road, just north of the Gateway Boulevard interchange.

I-95 is a ten-lane divided interstate freeway providing four general purpose lanes and one high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction. The project will be designed to complement the I-95 Interim Interchange design-build project completed in 2018, which provides dual left-turn lanes onto I-95 in both the eastbound and westbound directions separated by a minimum 4-foot wide raised median. This project also widened the northbound and southbound on-ramps to receive the dual left-turn lanes and transitions to single lanes prior to the merge with I-95, and constructed a free-flow right-turn lane from the southbound off-ramp.

Woolbright Road is currently a six-lane urban divided minor arterial to the west of I-95 and a four-lane urban divided minor arterial to the east of I-95. There is a raised median from SW 18th Street west of I-95 to just west of SW 2nd Street east of I-95. At SW 2nd Street, Woolbright Road transitions to a five-lane roadway section with a two-way left-turn lane in the middle. Sidewalks are on both sides of Woolbright Road throughout the project area. Designated bicycle lanes are present along Woolbright Road within the interchange limits.