Florida Department of Transportation officials on May 20 presented a new modern‑roundabout concept for US 1 at Southwest Palm City Road to the City of Stuart Commission, saying the design would slow high‑speed southbound traffic and keep vehicles moving without new traffic signals.

The presentation matters because the intersection has shown a persistent free‑flow, high‑speed southbound approach that residents and planners say creates safety concerns. FDOT said the roundabout would also accommodate large delivery trucks and would require a small additional right‑of‑way on the southwest corner.

FDOT Project Development Manager Harissa Sosa told the commission the department reviewed the 2023 feasibility study’s recommended “alternative number 5” and rejected it after internal vetting, then developed the roundabout option now under consideration. “This is the southbound where the high speed issue is happening,” Sosa said, describing the segment with the free‑flow right movement. She said the department’s analysis shows the modern roundabout would produce level‑of‑service A for all approaches because traffic would not be stopped by signal phases.

Sosa described the concept as a custom, single‑lane roundabout with a mountable apron for trucks and additional features such as rumble strips, pedestrian crossings and a raised island. She said the only new right‑of‑way anticipated is on the intersection’s southwest corner to accommodate the geometry. Consultant Juan Calderon said FDOT reviewed the earlier TPO application and that the prior consultant did not properly submit an application to FDOT at the time, which limited DOT’s ability to vet the prior alternative.

Commissioners and staff recalled the project’s public process: a 2023 feasibility study that produced five alternatives, two well‑attended open houses (one in the commission chambers with about 80 attendees) and a strong public preference for alternative 5. Vice Mayor Collins and others pressed FDOT on why the department returned with a roundabout after the community had ranked the alternative. Sosa said the department and its safety, traffic operations and design teams had reservations about the 2023 alternative and developed the roundabout as a better operational and safety solution.

Multiple commissioners asked FDOT to host another public workshop so residents can compare the new concept with the earlier alternatives. “That’s why we’re bringing it here today,” Sosa said, adding FDOT will return for additional public involvement and presentations to MPO advisory committees as the design is refined.

No formal action or vote was taken; the presentation was received and commissioners asked staff and FDOT to provide the earlier alternatives and to schedule further community workshops so residents can review the new concept alongside alternatives from the feasibility study.

Why this matters locally: the proposed change would alter how traffic flows on a state‑owned road that directly affects city neighborhoods; it changes the project that local residents and the MPO had previously prioritized and shifts right‑of‑way needs to adjacent private property.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the meeting record and include FDOT project staff and city officials.