Northeast Boca Raton is getting a new way across the Florida East Coast Railway tracks. The city broke ground on Oct. 26 on the Jeffery Street Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing, a new public crossing just east of NW 2nd Avenue, where Clint Moore ends, that will carry traffic through to Federal Highway (U.S. 1).

When it opens, the existing crossing at NW 28th Street will close, and Jeffery Street will take its place.

What is being built

The project extends the roadway connection between NW 2nd Avenue and Federal Highway, filling what the city describes as a long-standing gap in the local street grid. According to the city's project page, the work includes:

  • Extending and widening the roadway
  • A new at-grade railroad crossing at Jeffery Street
  • Intersection improvements and signal changes
  • Sidewalks, drainage, lighting, signage and striping
  • Other safety improvements tied to the crossing

Why it matters to the neighborhood

The city lists several things the crossing is meant to do. It creates a more direct east-west link across the northern part of Boca Raton, so drivers, cyclists and people on foot are not routed around the tracks. It adds another access point across the rail corridor for police, fire rescue and other emergency crews. And it gives residents a direct route to North Park, the new city park that is under construction nearby.

Closing NW 28th Street at the same time lets the city space its rail crossings in coordination with the railroad and the state, rather than simply adding another one.

Who is paying for it

The work is being coordinated by the City of Boca Raton, Florida East Coast Railway and the Florida Department of Transportation under a formal agreement. Construction and the required railroad safety improvements are supported in part by a $2 million federal Congressional Community Project Funding award.

The timeline

The city's schedule breaks the project into four phases:

  • Design-build selection and design: late 2025 through mid-2026
  • Utility coordination and approvals: summer 2026
  • Design, construction and activation of the crossing: the fourth quarter of 2026 through the fourth quarter of 2027
  • Project closeout: the second through fourth quarters of 2027

Construction is estimated to start this month, November 2026, with the new crossing expected to open by the end of 2027.

How to keep up

Expect work zones around NW 2nd Avenue, Jeffery Street and Federal Highway as construction gets going. The city posts updates, the project timeline and contact information on its Jeffery Street project page. Questions can also go to Boca Raton City Hall, 201 W. Palmetto Park Road, at 561-393-7700.

Sources