At 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, southbound Federal Highway between Camino Real and SE Mizner Boulevard moves into the two left lanes. FDOT's weekly traffic report doesn't call this a temporary shift. It calls it the road's "final traffic pattern." Northbound in the same stretch is already down to one lane through Oct. 16 for drainage work.
If you live in the blocks behind Mizner Park, the split you need to know about this season is SE 5th Street. South of it, Federal Highway is losing a lane for good. North of it, along the Mizner Park frontage, the road keeps every lane. That northern half is also where the city's 54th Annual Holiday Street Parade will run on Dec. 2.
Two Roads Under One Contract
The Florida Department of Transportation awarded the $6.3 million job to General Asphalt Company, LLC, according to Boca Daily News. It covers 1.3 miles of US 1 from Camino Real to NE 8th Street, which is NE Mizner Boulevard. Work began on Aug. 20, 2026. The entire length gets milled and resurfaced, but the two halves come out different.
| Segment | What changes | Travel lanes |
|---|---|---|
| Camino Real to SE 5th Street / SE Mizner Boulevard | 11-foot outside lane removed, median narrowed, 7-foot separated bike lanes, 11-foot sidewalks | 11-foot outside lane removed |
| SE 5th Street to NE 8th Street / NE Mizner Boulevard | Median narrowed to fit matching 7-foot separated bike lanes | Unchanged |
The southern half trades car capacity for wider sidewalks and protected bike lanes. On the northern half, the bike lanes come out of the median, so the lane count stays as it is. At the far south end, the Camino Real intersection gets new mast-arm signals and a second northbound left-turn lane. The full list also includes ADA curb ramp updates, upgraded pedestrian push buttons and signal heads at signalized intersections, and new signs and pavement markings along the corridor.
What the Corridor Looks Like Right Now
FDOT's Palm Beach County report for Oct. 9 through Oct. 16 lists three restrictions, all on the southern half:
- Northbound reduced to one lane from Camino Real to SE 5th Street through Oct. 16, for drainage and the lane repurposing.
- Southbound shifted to the two left lanes in that same stretch starting at 8 p.m. on Oct. 12.
- One lane in each direction closed on and off at Camino Real, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 12 through Oct. 16, for signal work.
That report lists no restrictions for the SE 5th to NE 8th segment. It also lists no sidewalk or crosswalk closures near Mizner Park, Plaza Real, Palmetto Park Road or Royal Palm Plaza. These conditions change week to week. The FDOT District Four project page lists the closure rules and points to FDOT's weekly traffic reports, which carry each week's restrictions, and Community Outreach Specialist Kevin Wells is the listed contact at (728) 235-7218.
The project page also sets rules for when crews can close lanes. Between Camino Real and SE 5th, single-lane closures are allowed. Two-lane closures there are limited to non-peak periods on non-event days, nights and weekends. Between SE 5th and NE 8th, even single-lane closures are held to non-peak periods on non-event days, nights and weekends. The stretch in front of Mizner Park has the tighter rules.
The Parade Runs on the Half That Keeps Its Lanes
The city's parade listing puts the start at Federal Highway and SE 5th Street, heading north to the Mizner Park Amphitheater. So the parade lines up right where the lane removal stops and marches up the segment where only the median is changing. The theme is "Boca by the Beach," and the parade runs 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2.
The road closure covers much more than the route. To stage more than 60 floats, marching bands and dance groups, the city closes Federal Highway from Camino Real to Glades Road from about 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., and sends traffic to Dixie Highway or nearby streets. The city lists four free parking options:
- City Hall, 201 W. Palmetto Park Road
- Building Administration, 200 NW 2nd Avenue
- City Parking Lot, 300 NW 2nd Avenue
- Downtown Boca Library, 400 NW 2nd Avenue
Barricades go up along the route, with designated crosswalks for getting across. After the last float, the city asks people to stay off Federal Highway so street sweepers can clear it and the road can reopen. A family-friendly one-mile Boca Holiday Mile Run with the Boca Raton Police Athletic League happens before the parade. The city says more details are coming.
Neither the city's parade page nor FDOT's materials say how the construction will be handled around the parade or the tree lighting. The parade instructions and the lane-closure rules are separate documents, and the "non-event days" wording in FDOT's rules is the only place the two overlap.
The Walkable Calendar, Week by Week
The same northern stretch frames almost everything happening downtown through mid-December. Here is what's confirmed as of early October on the city calendar and in TAPinto Boca Raton's roundup of the 2026 holiday lineup.
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Tequila Fest, 5 to 8 p.m., VIP from 4 p.m. | Mizner Park Amphitheater | Ticketed |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Savor Boca Experience, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., check-in at 1 p.m. | Starts at the amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real | $65, or two for $100 |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Holiday Tree Lighting, 6 to 10 p.m. | Mizner Park Amphitheater | Free |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | 54th Annual Holiday Street Parade, 7:30 to 9 p.m. | Federal Highway, SE 5th Street north | Free |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday POPS, doors 6 p.m., show 7 p.m. | Mizner Park Amphitheater | $25 to $60 |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | City of Boca Raton Night Market, 6 to 9 p.m. | Sanborn Square | Free entry |
Savor Boca has the deepest list of local names. The Rotary Club of Boca Raton presents it, and Savor Our City produces it. The Boca Raton Tribune describes it as a self-guided culinary passport with 15-plus stops. The named participants are La Mesa Café & Bistro, Spirits & Spice, Pure Green, Kapow Noodle Bar, American Social, Serena Pastificio, Ramen Lab Eatery, Belladukes, Corvina Seafood Grill, Just Baked, Savia, AJ's Italian Deli, Poke Jay, Talkin Tacos, Crema and Pzza&. The announcement says more stops may be added.
Holiday POPS is the one city holiday event that needs a ticket, according to TAPinto Boca Raton. The Symphonia Boca Raton, conductor John Devlin, the FAU Chamber Singers and Schola Cantorum of Florida perform, and a kids' POPS Pop-Up with Santa, face painting and glitter tattoos is included with admission. The Night Market brings artisans, live music, food vendors and a mobile bar to Sanborn Square. Inside Mizner Park, The Studio at Mizner Park at 201 Plaza Real Boulevard lists "Scroogé: A New Christmas Carol" for Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12. The city notes that dates and times can change and keeps its schedule at myboca.us.
The Crosswalk Arrives After the Holidays
The part of the project most likely to change a short walk in this neighborhood is still to come. FDOT's plan adds a new signalized mid-block crosswalk with brighter lighting south of Plaza Real. That puts it on the stretch where the parade lines up, and near the newest morning stop on Plaza Real. Parlor Doughnuts opened its first Palm Beach County shop at 9 Plaza Real South, Suite 108, on Sept. 26, The Palm Beach Post reported, with hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
FDOT's documents don't agree on the finish date. The project page says summer 2027 and the open-house flyer says fall 2027. The Oct. 9 weekly report, the most recent of the three, says late 2027. On any of those timelines, the 2026 tree lighting, parade and POPS concert happen while the southern half is being rebuilt and before the Plaza Real crosswalk exists. The 2027 holiday season may be the first with the finished corridor.
If you're thinking about how a redesigned Federal Highway and a busier Plaza Real could affect a home behind Mizner Park, the Matt & Nick Team follows these blocks closely and is glad to talk it through, privately and on your schedule. Contact Us.
