"Then it's like Frogger going down to A1A." Vice Mayor Simone Bonutti said that at the Sept. 8 Town Commission meeting. Commissioners had just approved a private tunnel project to keep working into November, and they knew water-pipe work to the south was already backing up weekend traffic.
That one quote sums up this season on South Ocean Boulevard. Manalapan has a rule meant to keep A1A clear once the winter calendar starts. This fall, the rule's first test lands at the same time as a project it was never written to cover. The work that will slow the road longest is happening outside town limits. Meanwhile, the town's own construction at Plaza del Mar is moving slower than any of it.
The Rule Manalapan Wrote After Last Spring
The ordinance has a clear origin story. Last year a private tunnel project ran for months in the spring, and lane closures caused long tie-ups on A1A. Commissioners responded by banning tunnel construction from Nov. 1 to April 14 unless the Town Commission approves it in advance.
The first request to use that exception arrived this September. The project is a private pedestrian passage under A1A at 1860 S. Ocean Blvd. It will connect a main house on the west side of the road to a beach house on the east side. RWB Construction Management asked to keep working "through November 14," and commissioners said yes on Sept. 8.
The timing explains the request. The town approved the 1860 S. Ocean tunnel on May 20, 2025, at the same meeting where it adopted the seasonal ordinance. The contractor says the state was the hold-up. The Florida Department of Transportation did not sign off until Aug. 24, after three years of permitting. "The controlling factor in this schedule has been the Florida Department of Transportation permitting process," RWB wrote in a Sept. 3 letter. "Installation could not lawfully commence prior to that issuance."
So a project the town approved a year and a half ago is only now under construction, because a state permit set the schedule. While the work continues, traffic moves onto a temporary bypass lane. A police officer is on site every day and can take manual control of the traffic signal if needed.
If RWB finishes on schedule, the exception covers about two weeks of season, and the tunnel crew leaves A1A by mid-November.
The Stretch the Rule Can't Reach
Manalapan's ordinance governs tunnels inside Manalapan. It has no say over a water main in Ocean Ridge, and that is the project with the longest timeline.
The Town of Ocean Ridge is replacing a water main along about two miles of State Road A1A, from Corrine Street to Ocean Avenue. Work began in July. The $1.9 million job is meant to raise water pressure and improve fire protection, and the fire hydrants on the west side of the road are being replaced too. In August, contractors told Ocean Ridge commissioners they expect to finish by the end of the year.
The contractor is Johnson-Davis, an underground utility company based in Lantana. Its president, W. Clark Cryer, was direct about what drivers should expect. "Like any improvements, there are growing pains," he said. "It's like you get sore when you work out, you get bumps and bruises."
The lane setup differs from the tunnel site. Portable traffic signals let cars pass through a single lane, taking turns. According to a Sept. 27 traffic roundup from Boca News Now, closures run around the clock, with a temporary signal somewhere between south of Corrine Street and north of Ocean Avenue, and are expected to continue through late 2026. That week, the signal sat between E. Anna Street and Edith Street. The signal moves as the crew advances, so where the bottleneck sits changes from week to week.
Ocean Ridge posts regular updates on its social media and offers text alerts through a sign-up at oceanridge.gov. For anyone who regularly drives south on A1A toward Boynton Beach, that feed tells you more than any Manalapan notice will.
Treat the end-of-year date as the contractor's estimate. It is not a fixed commitment. Even if it holds, the water main will tie up A1A for about six more weeks after the tunnel crew leaves.
The Calendar as It Stands Today
Here are the dates that apply as of Oct. 3, in order:
- Sept. 11: The Eau Resort & Spa's owner begins leasing the town's former bank building at Plaza del Mar as a renovation base.
- Oct. 14, 4 p.m.: The J. Turner Moore Memorial Library book club meets to discuss Culpability. It is open to current library members.
- Nov. 1: Manalapan's seasonal ban on tunnel construction takes effect, with the one approved exception.
- Nov. 14: The approved end date for tunnel work at 1860 S. Ocean Blvd.
- End of 2026: The contractor's target for finishing Ocean Ridge's A1A water main.
- No date yet: The Eau renovation, the new Town Hall, and the Point Manalapan guardhouse.
The last line matters as much as the others. Every project with no end date is a building project, and two of the three belong to the town.
Plaza del Mar, Behind a Chain-Link Fence
The Eau Resort & Spa is about to start a renovation. On Sept. 8, commissioners approved new black aluminum railings and teak-look cladding for the guestroom balconies. The palm-tree design on the current railings will go. "We're very excited about the renovation that's about to start at the hotel," said Tim Nardi, the Eau's general manager.
None of the public reporting gives the full scope of the renovation or a completion date. What is clear is where the work is based. MPB Property LLC, which owns the resort, is leasing the town's former bank building at 131 S. Ocean Blvd. in Plaza del Mar for $4,600 a month. The lease started Sept. 11, runs for one year, and can then continue month to month. Commissioners also approved a materials storage area next to the building, enclosed by an 8-foot chain-link fence with windscreen and a rolling gate, for the resort's contractor to use.
That building has a longer history. It is the site Manalapan plans to use for a new Town Hall. The town took the property through eminent domain. In June, a circuit judge approved the taking, and the town deposited $2.85 million in the court registry. A jury could still set a different final price. The new town budget includes $175,000 to design the building. Until construction starts, the resort's rent gives the town some income from a property it is still paying for.
The plan has also changed shape. On Sept. 8, Town Manager Eric Marmer told commissioners that Palm Beach County Fire Rescue does not want to share the new Town Hall. It wants to stay on the current Town Hall site and would pay to build a new facility there.
The Point Manalapan guardhouse shows the same delay. Residents were told the replacement would start in July. As of Sept. 30, no contract had been awarded. Even after the design was trimmed, bids ranged from $489,000 to $897,935 against a $300,000 budget. Commissioners leaned toward a redesign and a new round of bids, and the town had not decided whether to fold the guardhouse into the larger Town Hall and police project.
Add it up and the pattern runs against expectations. The private tunnel and the neighboring water main have end dates, and both are expected to be finished within three months. The town's own projects at Plaza del Mar and Point Manalapan have no start dates.
What's Open on the Other Side of the Fence
None of the reporting so far mentions a full resort closure. The Eau's current dining page lists Nobu, Angle, Breeze Ocean Kitchen, Stir, Savor, and Oceana, along with in-room dining. Older town directories still name Temple Orange, which no longer appears on that list.
The two main dining rooms have both been reworked recently:
- Nobu started moving from a temporary 65-seat space into a larger, permanent oceanfront dining room last autumn. It was operating in that room as of the Palm Beach Daily News update in May 2026.
- Angle reopened in December 2025 with refreshed interiors and a bigger steak-and-seafood menu, open seven nights a week at the time.
- Eau Spa still lists daily hours and appointments on a page updated Sept. 30. Seasonal treatments include the Cloud Nine Detox and the Sea Glass Skin Facial.
Under the resort's FAQ, people who are not staying at the hotel can dine at select restaurants, subject to availability. Local visitors can book spa treatments, and what facilities they can use depends on the treatment. Those policies were written before the renovation, and nothing in them promises every venue will stay open while the work goes on. It makes sense to call ahead before a dinner reservation or spa booking.
Across A1A in Plaza del Mar, John G's is still serving. The Coastal Star reported in August that a Canadian businessman bought the café in May and plans to expand the brand around South Florida. The report gave no sign of changes at the Manalapan location. It sits in the same shopping center as the resort's new staging yard, so the chain-link fence is now part of the walk from the car to breakfast.
Through Nov. 14, the 1860 S. Ocean bypass lane and the officer at the signal will be the main thing slowing the drive north. After that date, the delays move south to the Ocean Ridge water main, which is expected to run until the end of the year.
For homeowners deciding when to list, close, or schedule their own work on the Manalapan barrier island, these permit dates and seasonal rules shape the calendar as much as the market does. At BlackLabel Luxury Real Estate, John Bolaris follows Manalapan's commission decisions closely so clients can time moves, showings, and renovations around the road. If your plans for this season depend on A1A, let's connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.