PORT ST. LUCIE — Plans for a proposed interchange at Marshall Parkway and Interstate 95 are moving forward, as city officials weigh long-term traffic needs against neighborhood impacts.
The project has now been included in long-range state planning, though construction funding remains years away, according to city staff.
“For the first time ever, it's actually on the long range plan with the FDOT. Some funding is currently going to be available between 2041 and 2050 should no other funding become available before that,” said Antonio Balestrieri, the city’s public works manager.
Traffic projections presented to the City Council show increasing strain on nearby roadways if no improvements are made.
“On the legs on either side of Tradition Parkway and Becker Road, all four of those locations are shown over capacity for 2050,” said Kok Wan Mah, an engineer with Kitelson & Associates, a firm assisting the city.
Mah outlined three potential scenarios for the interchange. The first, taking no action, was dismissed by city leaders. The second would create a west-side connection to I-95 at Marshall Parkway, while the third would add an eastern connection extending toward Rosser Boulevard.
Analysis showed the addition of an western connection would further reduce congestion on nearby corridors.
“What this shows is that connection to and from the east provides a significant relief to Becker Road and to a lesser degree, but still a relief to the Tradition Parkway interchange, which are the two interchanges on either side of this proposed Marshall Parkway interchange,” Mah said.
He added that building both east and west connections would produce even greater reductions in traffic volumes.
“The segment east of the interstate on Tradition Parkway goes down about 30% and on the west side on the east side of Becker, it goes down about 20%. So we're seeing relief there as a result of having both connections,” he said.
Despite those benefits, city leaders raised alarm bells about the potential impact of expanding eastward, particularly on existing neighborhoods and newly protected land.
“The difference between scenario two and three is not much different. But if you go all the way across to Rosser, which we have had a conversation on this council before, we are going to be destroying an entire neighborhood. And the city just purchased the Rosser Lakes parcel, which is a preserve in perpetuity,” said Mayor Shannon Martin. “The damage is very great to our residents with regard to that entire neighborhood and the fact that we just put in a preserve. That is very concerning to me, and I'm just telling the council I'll never support that.”
While the council signaled opposition to pursuing the eastern connection now, some officials cautioned against eliminating the option entirely as the city grows.
“They're still going to be impacted, because if they don't have another way to exit off I-95 or to get onto I-95, everyone's going to be having to go down Gatlin, which will put Gatlin into gridlock and give no other alternative,” said Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo. “This could be a very long time. [In] 2040, 2050, the city's going to look very different. If those individuals in that neighborhood cannot get out of their neighborhood because they can't even get on to Gatlin to get to 95, I don't know how much they're going to be hating that interchange.”
Council members also discussed design options for the interchange, choosing between a traditional T configuration and a braided ramp system.
“The benefits of the T interchange is that construction is less expensive and if there ever was an appetite, it would provide a path for future connection to the east,” Mah said. “Whereas the braided ramps are less disruptive. Especially if you're going to have freight traffic to the north and from the south, it would make it easier for them to make those maneuvers.”
City leaders ultimately expressed a preference for the braided design, citing operational advantages and reduced disruption.
“We discussed in great detail the braided versus the T and the braided overall one. Everybody voted. I don't think anybody wanted to go with the T,” said Council Member Stephanie Morgan. “The benefits outweigh the benefits of a T. Less disruption, easier for freight. To me that's a no-brainer.”
Some officials emphasized the urgency of advancing the project sooner than currently scheduled, pointing to anticipated growth and increased truck traffic.
“This interchange is needed now, not 2040. 2040 is pushing it up entirely too far out with what we have going on out there once Costco starts opening and the truck traffic,” said Council Member David Pickett. “That truck traffic is just going to increase exponentially. So we need to expedite this as quickly as possible.”
Mah said the next phase involves coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation and further study.
“From here, the next steps would be to engage with FDOT and make sure we discuss the path to taking this forward to formal IJR and PD&E studies. That would be done by finalizing this summary memo that we're finishing up now and then presenting the different scenarios to District 4 and making sure that we understand the council's input on the scenarios that we would like to present, both in the connections and the type of interchange,” he said.
The council reached consensus on pursuing the west-only interchange option using a braided ramp design, while leaving open the possibility of revisiting an eastern connection in the future.