Boca Raton rail crossing upgrades have received $2 million in federal funding for a planned public grade crossing at Jeffery Street in northeast Boca Raton.

Boca Raton rail crossing upgrades funded
Left to right: Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer James Zervis; City Council Member Yvette Drucker; U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.); Mayor Andy Thomson; City Manager Mark Sohaney; Public Works and Engineering Director Zach Bihr.
Photo – City of Boca Raton

Rail crossing upgrades and local access

The project will create a road link from NW Second Avenue to Federal Highway/US-1⁠ across the Florida East Coast Railway corridor. City officials said the connection will restore access between local neighborhoods and improve travel options for residents, businesses and emergency responders.

Under the scheme, the current railroad crossing at NW 28th Street is set to be closed. Construction is scheduled to start in fall 2026, with completion expected in 2027.

Project scope and coordination

Work will include extending and widening the roadway, building the new Jeffery Street grade crossing, improving intersections and modifying signals. The scope also covers sidewalks, drainage, lighting, signage, striping and other safety-related improvements.

The Jeffery Street crossing is presented by Boca Raton as a way to close a long-standing gap in the local roadway network and improve east-west access in the northern part of the city. The city’s project page says the work is being advanced under a formal agreement with Florida East Coast Railway and the Florida Department of Transportation, while the new crossing will replace the nearby NW 28th Street crossing. The listed benefits include another access point for emergency responders and safer travel conditions for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

The project forms part of Boca Raton’s Capital Improvements Program. It is being coordinated with the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida East Coast Railway, while the federal funding came through Congressional Community Project Funding⁠.