U.S. 1 Earman River Bridge Replacement

Project Scope

The U.S. 1 Earman River Bridge Replacement Project is a $13.6 million transportation improvement led by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to replace an aging bridge and improve safety and mobility along a key corridor in Palm Beach County. Construction began in February 2025 following the identification of the existing bridge as structurally deficient after a partial collapse in 2017. The project includes replacement of the existing span, roadway widening to accommodate an additional right-turn lane onto westbound Northlake Boulevard, the addition of 4-foot bike lanes and 11-foot sidewalks, and raising the new fixed-span bridge by 18 inches to improve boat clearance.

Haley Ward’s Survey Team is serving as a key technical partner on the project, providing construction staking, as-built surveys, settlement monitoring, and bathymetric surveys to support the design and construction of the new bridge. Settlement monitoring is particularly important due to the bridge’s location over the Earman River and the use of Florida Slab Beam (FSB) superstructure technology designed to provide enhanced durability in marine environments. Our survey crews are actively supporting the installation of bridge beams and maintaining tight tolerances for the project’s complex drainage, lighting, and signalization improvements.

The project requires careful coordination due to traffic impacts along the busy U.S. 1 corridor. To help minimize disruptions to commuters, Haley Ward has worked closely with the contractor and project partners to schedule survey activities during lower-traffic periods, often requiring early morning or evening work.

Environmental protection is also a critical component of the project. The Earman River is a shallow estuarine habitat, and demolition of the existing bridge substructure required careful monitoring to prevent debris or concrete slurry from entering the water. Haley Ward conducted pre-construction and intermediate bathymetric surveys to document existing conditions and identify changes during construction. In addition, the project is subject to a strict Manatee Watch Program due to in-water work. Under the required “50–30” rule, if a manatee is observed within 50 feet of construction activity, all work must stop immediately and cannot resume until the animal has moved beyond that radius for at least 30 minutes.

Scheduled for completion in Summer 2027, the project will provide a safer, more resilient crossing over the Earman River while improving roadway operations, bicycle access, and pedestrian connectivity along the U.S. 1 corridor.

Market

• State & Federal Government

Services

Project Data