On the west side of US-1, between SE Bridge Road and SE Osprey Street, Hobe Sound's busiest road is about to get something it has never had: a 12-foot paved path for people on foot, on bikes and on other non-motorized wheels, kept apart from the traffic. The Florida Department of Transportation's Treasure Coast traffic report for October 16 to 23, 2026 said the work would begin this month. As of that notice, all lanes were still open.
The coverage earlier this year described a trail linking Seabranch Preserve State Park and Jonathan Dickinson State Park. That is where this is heading. The contract now starting won't touch either park. It builds the middle of the route. The southern link toward Jonathan Dickinson and the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge and the northern link to Seabranch are separate projects, each with its own number and its own funding, and neither has been built. The hardest engineering problem on the whole route sits on the southern link.
What the Contract Actually Builds
FDOT lists the project as contract T4738. The contractor is OHLA USA, the estimated construction cost is $15,994,700, and completion is scheduled for Summer 2028. The contract really has two parts. One is a resurfacing, restoration and rehabilitation job on US-1 that runs from half a mile south of SE Dixie Highway up to Osprey Street. The other is the trail itself, which starts at SE Bridge Road. Together they cover 5.105 miles.
The trail follows the west side of US-1 from Bridge Road to Osprey Street. The roadwork that comes with it is milling and repaving, new pavement markings and signals, drainage and signage upgrades, replacement curbs, gutters and sidewalks, and new sod from Dixie Highway north to Osprey.
The path matters beyond Hobe Sound because of the two networks it belongs to. FDOT labels it a SUN Trail project, part of Florida's Shared-Use Nonmotorized trail network. TCPalm reported in January that the Hobe Sound trail is also planned as part of the East Coast Greenway, the route that runs from Maine to Florida.
Three Links, One Under Construction
The full plan came out at a Martin MPO Policy Board meeting. There, MPO staff laid out the route like this. The trail runs along the west side of US-1 up to Osprey, crosses to Gomez Avenue, and continues north to Seabranch State Park. Once it's all finished, a cyclist could park at Seabranch and ride a continuous trail to Jonathan Dickinson State Park. That ride takes three separate projects.
North: Osprey Street to Seabranch
Project 443500-2 is listed in the Martin MPO's adopted FY27–FY31 Transportation Improvement Program as the link "from SE Osprey St to SE Gomez Ave (from US-1 to Seabranch State Park)." FDOT District 4's draft work program for July 2026 through June 2031 lists it as a bike path and trail construction project with $1.5 million programmed. The draft carries a "subject to change" label.
Middle: Bridge Road to Osprey Street
This is contract T4738, the work starting now, with completion set for Summer 2028.
South: Bridge Road to the Refuge
Project 443505-1, "SR-5/US-1 from SE Bridge Road to Hobe Sound Wildlife Refuge," is also in the adopted TIP. The same draft work program shows a construction phase for it totaling $8,349,561. That makes the southern link more than five times the size of the northern one. The next section explains the gap.
WPTV's January report described the extension the same way, in two sections. One runs from Osprey Street to Bridge Road. The other runs from Bridge Road to the Refuge, on a path 10 to 12 feet wide and separated from vehicle traffic.
The Southern Link Has to Clear a Railroad and Cross US-1
When the board heard the presentation on the Refuge-to-Bridge Road segment, the route was described as 2.2 miles with one crossing of US-1. The first plan was different. It sent the trail north by way of Gomez Avenue and then west on Bridge Road to US-1. A feasibility study then moved the preferred alignment to the west side of US-1, which is why the route needs a crossing at all.
Three problems came up at that meeting, and they explain both the cost and the timing.
- The railroad overpass. The consultant leading the study told the board the existing bridge isn't wide enough for trail users. A bridge development report was comparing two options, widening the bridge or building a separate crossing.
- The crossing near the fire station. The MPO's advisory committee recommended putting the US-1 crossing south of Olympus Street to reduce conflicts with fire station traffic. One board member supported the move. Another pointed out that shifting it south could mean more contact with fire trucks heading southbound. The discussion ended with general agreement that crossings need careful placement.
- Why the trail doesn't use Dixie Highway. Board members discussed Dixie Highway as a possible route. The corridor is very narrow, and widening it would mean acquiring many parcels. The Florida East Coast Railway also runs beside parts of it.
The fire station debate also shows why a one-sided trail can't serve both destinations. As one commissioner put it, Jonathan Dickinson State Park is on the west side of US-1 and the Refuge is on the east side, so trail users will have to cross the highway either way. The middle link stays on the west side the whole way, which is part of why it could start first. The southern link has to settle where the crossing goes and how to get over the railroad before anyone can pour concrete.
Where You Can Ride or Walk Today
Until the links connect, the parks at each end have their own paths, and US-1 is still the way between them.
- Seabranch Preserve State Park. Florida State Parks lists 1.7 paved miles of East Coast Greenway at the park, plus a 1.3-mile Greenway section through its sand pine scrub. The park's hiking network is laid out as north, south and east loops. The east loop passes through pine flatwoods and baygall swamp.
- Jonathan Dickinson State Park. The park is at 16450 SE Federal Highway and has both paved and off-road bike trails.
- Farther south. The East Coast Greenway Alliance lists the Jupiter Riverwalk, at 2.1 miles, among its designated Florida segments. The Alliance also says the Greenway route through Martin and Palm Beach counties is almost entirely planned, with significant portions complete or under construction.
Seabranch was where WPTV found its local voice for the story. A runner trying the trail there for the first time told the station, "This is something that we really don't have a lot in South Florida." Beth Beltran of the Martin MPO told WPTV the finished facility is meant for bikes, joggers, walkers and scooters, and for everyday trips too. People "want to ride their bikes to go get a cup of coffee or to go get dinner," she said.
Living With the Work Through 2028
FDOT has posted the rules the contractor has to follow on this stretch, and they affect anyone who drives US-1 regularly:
- No southbound US-1 lane closures between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m.
- Northbound lane closures are allowed at any time.
- Access to every bus stop must be kept open.
- Access to business and residential driveways must be kept open.
- Pedestrian detours will be set up as needed.
The southbound morning protection covers the weekday rush toward Bridge Road and points south. Northbound drivers get no protected window, so expect lane closures in that direction at any hour. For questions about the work, FDOT lists Community Outreach Specialist Kim Johnson at 772-801-8736.
The contract runs to Summer 2028. When it's done, there will be a protected path from Bridge Road to Osprey Street. The full Seabranch-to-Jonathan Dickinson ride will still depend on the two links on either side, and most of all on the southern link getting over the railroad and across US-1.
Over the next two years, changes along US-1 will affect how the stretch from Osprey Street to Bridge Road feels to live near and to own along. Susan Turner and The Jupiter Island Team follow projects like this one closely. If you're wondering how the trail work might affect a particular Hobe Sound property, Let's Connect.
