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Officials say A1A remains open during Flagler Beach reconstruction; TDC, chamber coordinate messaging
Summary
County and tourism officials said A1A reconstruction near Flagler Beach will be staged and will not close the road; FDOT has committed to maintain two flowing lanes at all times.
County tourism officials and council members discussed the planned A1A reconstruction project and coordinated messaging to limit tourism impact.
Eric (staff member) told the council the project is scheduled to begin in late January and will be a long-running road-improvement effort: “It is a big one, and it’s a long one. It’s gonna last about 300 days,” he said, adding that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has committed to keeping two flowing lanes of traffic at all times. “A1A is not closing. A1A is not even going to be down to 1 lane. It’s very much open,” he said.
Officials said temporary, localized detours — typically one or two blocks around the work area — will be used while work rotates along the corridor. FDOT and the chamber have agreed to help distribute accurate information to visitors and business owners; staff noted FDOT maintains a project webpage with updates that the county and chamber can share.
Council members and staff discussed additional steps to support businesses during the project. One council member recommended purchasing billboards along I-95 and Moody Boulevard (U.S. 100) to capture travelers already in-market as they approach the Flagler Beach exit. TDC marketing staff said they are not categorically opposed to billboards but prefer placements with measurable outcomes so ad performance can be tracked.
Amy Lukasick, speaking for TDC marketing efforts, described expanded advertising placements for Flagler Beach restaurants in regional food and travel publications and the use of advertorial space to drive restaurant interest beyond the immediate market. Officials encouraged businesses and the chamber to communicate directly with visitors (for example, advising on temporary access points) and to add onsite messages that explain alternate entry routes when appropriate.
Council members emphasized that the project’s media coverage had created misperceptions that A1A would be closed; officials urged a coordinated, multi-stakeholder response to reassure visitors and protect economic activity on the beach.
