- April 24, 2024
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The orange construction barrels on Palm Coast Parkway are gone. So is the heavy equipment. And the six-laning of the busiest part of the road — a $10.5 million city project that began in March 2014 — is finally over.
The city of Palm Coast celebrated the achievement with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by about two dozen people, including city and county officials and staff, on the grass lawn in front of the Palm Coast Community Center on Palm Coast Parkway at 9 a.m. Dec. 10.
"Your patience has been rewarded with a major roadway that is safe, attractive and less congested."
— Jon Netts, Palm Coast mayor
Morning traffic rushed west in the background as Mayor Jon Netts marked the occasion with a speech, noting how far the young city has come.
"You know, if I had a dollar for every time somebody told me, 'I remember when Palm Coast had one traffic light,' I'd be a rich man," he said. "But over the past 40 years, our city has seen expansion and growth as businesses and residents have continued to move to our community. To address this growth, City Council approved a plan for upgrading and widening our main thoroughfare, Palm Coast Parkway, along its busiest points."
The portion of the road the city widened is 1.23 miles long, stretching between Florida Park Drive in the east and the Cypress Point Parkway/Boulder Rock intersection in the west. Workers upgraded signals and signs, and added walking paths, curbs and gutters along the entire project length, Netts said.
"Now the I-95 overpass is much safer for people who walk and bike," Netts said. "This new stretch of Palm Coast Parkway enhances our gateway to Palm Coast, telling everybody that they've arrived at someplace very special. The brand new infrastructure also enforces our environmental beauty, Palm Coast's signature character and identity."
The city relocated 130 sabal palms from the Parkway to Waterfront Park, the Indian Trails Sports Complex, western Palm Coast Parkway and Bulldog Drive during construction, Netts said, and replaced them with 458 new trees along the newly widened road.
George Sawaya, senior project manager for the construction management company Hill International, said in a speech that Hill International and the city's contractor, Daytona Beach-based P & S Paving, "had a good partnering. We worked together. We had minor hiccups, but we resolved them on the project level, and the result is what you see today."
Netts said the project was worth the patience it required of commuters.
"Your patience has been rewarded with a major roadway that is safe, attractive and less congested," Netts said. "With the successful completion of our Palm Coast Parkway six-laning, I can proudly add that this community is a great place to live, work, play — and drive."
