Port St. Lucie Council Approves $1.5M Overhaul for Congested Tradition Parkway Intersection

The Port St. Lucie City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a $1.5 million design plan for the chronically congested intersection of Village Parkway and Tradition Parkway. The crossing has racked up more than 2,035 traffic citations since 2020, public records show.

For drivers who navigate the intersection during afternoon rush hour, the vote means real relief could arrive within months. The approved plan calls for extending eastbound left-turn lanes, adding a dedicated eastbound right-turn lane, building a third through lane, and relocating a bus stop on the south side of Tradition Parkway to free up more vehicle space. Together, the changes are designed to untangle the bottleneck that residents have complained about for years — and that some say they now simply avoid.

The council had been shown three competing design options, each with varying degrees of improvement and cost. Alia Awwad, transportation planning group lead at civil engineering firm DRMP, recommended the third and most comprehensive option, saying it would best address congestion, particularly during the afternoon commute.

The path to Monday's vote ran through the community itself. In August 2025, city officials held a public meeting to collect direct input from drivers and pedestrians on what the intersection needed to become safer. That feedback shaped the final design choice, officials said.

Council Member Anthony Bonna underscored the point from the dais. "The three biggest words, and most important words, in this presentation were 'Per resident feedback,'" Bonna said, voicing support for the plan. "Anyone who thinks or says that the public meetings don't matter or things are already decided before you go to the public meeting, that's absolutely not true. We value our public feedback."

The approved option was the costliest of the three presented, at $1.5 million, officials said.

Design finalization for the bidding process is expected to take four to six weeks, meaning construction contracts could be put out for bid as soon as early fall. Residents should watch for a bid award vote before the full council as the next formal milestone in the project.

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