Palm Beach road to close ahead of Trump’s Thanksgiving visit

• A coastal road near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club will close starting Nov. 25.
• The closure of South Ocean Boulevard precedes the president’s expected arrival for his 15th visit to Palm Beach since taking beginning his second term in the White House.
• Bridge schedules will be adjusted as part of security measures during the president’s stay.

The coastal road next to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club will close to through-traffic starting at 5 a.m. Nov. 25 and remain closed until further notice, Palm Beach officials said.

South Ocean Boulevard will shut down between the Southern Boulevard traffic circle and the intersection with South County Road, the town said in an alert sent Nov. 21.

The closure of South Ocean Boulevard precedes the expected arrival later in the day of Trump for what would be his 15th visit to Palm Beach since Jan. 20, when he began his second term in the White House.

A set of temporary flight restrictions of the level issued for presidential travel are expected Nov. 25-30 for airspace that includes Mar-a-Lago, according to a notice issued Nov. 17 by the Boca Raton Airport Authority. While the notice does not mention Trump by name, such notices have become early indicators of the president’s travel plans.

The president’s most recent trip to Palm Beach was Nov. 14-16.

What to expect with Trump in town

Those who live, work and are visiting homes within the area affected by the South Ocean Boulevard’s closure will be allowed in after providing identification, and they can enter and exit only through the north security checkpoint at South County Road, officials have said.

When Trump returns, bridge schedules are adjusted as part of security zones set by the U.S. Coast Guard around Mar-a-Lago.

The Flagler Memorial and Southern Boulevard bridges will have similar opening schedules:

• Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays: The bridge will open on the quarter- and three-quarter hour.
• Monday through Friday: From 7:30 to 9 a.m., the bridge will open on the quarter-hour; from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., the bridge will open on the quarter and three-quarter hour; from 2:15 to 6 p.m., the bridge will open on the quarter-hour; and from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., the bridge will open on the quarter and three-quarter hour.

The Southern Boulevard Bridge also may close without notice to allow for motorcades to pass uninterrupted, the Coast Guard has said. Because the bridge-opening times are staggered, the Royal Park Bridge’s schedule when Trump is in town is different from the schedule for the other two bridges:

• Monday through Friday: From 7:30 to 9 a.m., the bridge will open on the half-hour; from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., the bridge will open on the hour and half-hour; from 2:15 to 6 p.m., the bridge will open on the half-hour; and from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., the bridge will open on the hour and half-hour.
• Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays: The bridge will open on the hour and half-hour.

Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.