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FDOT presents SunTrail plan for US‑1 through Hobe Sound; hybrid east/west alignment recommended
Summary
FDOT staff and consultants recommended a hybrid alignment for the SunTrail shared‑use path on US‑1 between Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge and Southeast Bridge Road, keeping the trail on the east side for two segments and shifting to the west for the north end to improve crossings and drainage impacts.
FDOT and its consultant team presented design recommendations for the SunTrail shared‑use path on U.S. 1 from Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge north to Southeast Bridge Road, recommending a hybrid east/west alignment to balance connections, safety and constructability.
"The project length is about 2.2 miles, and it's going to cross over the FEC Railroad," Cindy Kendrick, consultant project manager for the SunTrail project, told the MPO. Kendrick summarized a high‑level east versus west evaluation and said the team divided the corridor into three segments. The East side was recommended for the southern two segments to provide neighborhood connectivity and link existing sidewalks and parks, while the north segment — from Olympus to Bridge Road — was recommended to shift to the West side to reduce utility and drainage conflicts and to provide a safer crossing at Olympus.
Damaris Williams of FDOT District 4 said a separate federal lands access program‑funded segment that provides access to Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge will connect at the south end. The team will study whether the existing railroad overpass can be widened to accommodate the shared‑use path or whether a new crossing structure is required. "The existing bridge is not wide enough right now. As part of our scope of work, we're doing a bridge development report to evaluate whether we widen the bridge to accommodate the trail users or whether we do a stand alone bridge crossing," Kendrick said.
Advisory committee members and commissioners raised safety concerns about multiple crossings of US‑1 and suggested locating the highway crossing south of Olympus to reduce conflicts with the fire station driveway. Commissioner Jay Blake Capps and others walked through a bicyclist’s route from JD State Park through the refuge and along old Dixie Highway to illustrate how users would cross US‑1 twice under the hybrid alignment.
FDOT said the project team will continue outreach and that design will evaluate bridge modifications, drainage, utilities, and potential impacts to leased parcels within the refuge. The preferred alignment and design details will be advanced in survey and preliminary design; public outreach and further coordination with stakeholders are planned as design proceeds.
