Construction crews begin overnight work on the Palm Coast Parkway resurfacing project, which includes roadway repairs, new pavement and traffic improvements. Courtesy photo, City of Palm Coast.
Construction crews begin overnight work on the Palm Coast Parkway resurfacing project, which includes roadway repairs, new pavement and traffic improvements. Courtesy photo, City of Palm Coast.
Construction crews begin overnight work on the Palm Coast Parkway resurfacing project, which includes roadway repairs, new pavement and traffic improvements. Courtesy photo, City of Palm Coast.
Motorists traveling Palm Coast Parkway overnight will notice construction crews at work after the City of Palm Coast officially launched its long-awaited resurfacing project Monday night.
The improvement project will resurface Palm Coast Parkway from U.S. 1 to the Hammock Dunes Toll Bridge while also repairing deteriorating sections beneath the roadway, extending turn lanes at two busy intersections and making other safety improvements. Work is being performed overnight to reduce impacts on daytime traffic and is expected to reach substantial completion by December, with final completion anticipated in January 2027.
Tyler Gibson, a project manager with the city's Traffic Engineering Department, said the project is designed to do more than simply lay new pavement.
"We'll be resurfacing an inch and a half of asphalt from U.S. 1 to the Hammock Dunes Toll Bridge," Gibson said. "With this road in particular, we've got some areas that have base issues. The base is starting to crumble underneath the asphalt, so we're going to mill down about 8 inches and put back asphalt base underneath it to give those areas more structure."
Those deeper repairs are intended to address the underlying causes of pavement deterioration rather than simply covering over damaged areas.
In addition to resurfacing the roadway, the project includes extending westbound turn lanes at Bridgehaven Drive and Pine Lakes Parkway to improve traffic flow. Crews will also replace a section of mountable curb with a standard curb along the eastbound side of Palm Coast Parkway west of Florida Park Drive.
The contractor began work Monday night after an initial planned start was delayed by one day.
"They were supposed to start last night, but they're actually starting tonight," Gibson said during an interview Monday.
Construction will take place entirely during overnight hours. Lane closures are permitted beginning at 8 p.m., with all travel lanes required to reopen by 7 a.m. each day.
Gibson said most residents may never actually see crews working because nearly all of the activity will occur while people are sleeping.
"Hopefully most everybody will be asleep because everything's going to be all-night work," he said. "There'll be a couple different areas where they're extending turn lanes on the westbound side, one at Bridgehaven and one at Pine Lakes Parkway."
Drivers traveling through the work zone overnight should expect temporary lane closures, construction lighting and heavy equipment moving along the corridor.
"There'll be some light towers out there, and there'll be a lane closure," Gibson said. "They'll only be working one lane at a time for the most part. There'll be construction vehicles moving in and out — as they move down the roadway."
Crews are starting near U.S. 1 and will work east toward the Hammock Dunes Toll Bridge. Gibson said exactly how far they advance each night will depend on the contractor's work plan, but the project will continue progressing eastward as construction moves along the corridor.
The first few nights may present a learning curve as workers establish a routine.
"The first night or two is going to be a little hectic as far as getting everything in a rhythm," Gibson said. "But once we get the first couple nights out of the way and get in a rhythm, it goes pretty smooth."
Palm Coast Parkway is one of the city's most heavily traveled roadways and serves as one of the primary east-west routes through the city.
"When the project wraps up, the roadway will basically be brand new," Gibson said. "Palm Coast Parkway serves about 50,000 vehicles a day. It's the main drag if you're going anywhere east-west. State Road 100 was done by DOT last year, and now we're getting Palm Coast Parkway done. Hopefully everybody will appreciate the new road down Palm Coast Parkway."
The City of Palm Coast is advising motorists to slow down in work zones, remain alert for changing traffic patterns and construction equipment, obey posted signage and allow extra travel time when driving through the area during overnight hours.
