The Train Horns on Tequesta Drive Are Waiting on Paint

At the Tequesta Drive railroad crossing, the horns still sound when a train comes through. Five years of planning have come down to the stripes on the asphalt. The Federal Railroad Administration found that several pavement markings at the crossing are in the wrong place. They have to be removed and put down again before the Village can establish the quiet zone it has been working toward since at least 2021.

Tequesta Drive has a few projects like that this fall. The rail crossing needs repaving and restriping. Down the road, the bridge restoration is waiting for king tides to drop before the concrete pour. On the 300 block, a well-known bistro is being rebuilt as a sports-and-dining room. None of these jobs are in planning anymore. All of them are in finish work, and the crossing corrections are scheduled for October and November.

The Crossing Is Waiting on Paint

Getting to this point took a while. According to a March 14, 2024 Village staff memo, "Establish Safe and Quiet Railroad Crossing" has been part of Tequesta's Strategic Plan since 2021, and the topic was discussed before that. The Village held off on applying until Brightline had an established schedule.

Here is the record so far:

1. 2021: The quiet crossing goal goes into the Village Strategic Plan.
2. December 4, 2023: At a workshop, the Village Council asks staff to bring the item back in March.
3. March 14, 2024: Council considers having staff apply to the FRA for a quiet zone at the Tequesta Drive crossing. The memo says the application itself costs nothing and the process takes several months. Staff planned to consult the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and/or a consultant.
4. September 2026: The FRA confirms that several pavement markings at the crossing must be removed and relocated. The Village's engineer identifies the fix, which includes milling, paving and restriping several lanes.
5. October–November 2026: The Village's road contractor is scheduled to do the corrective work. That work has to be finished before the quiet zone can be established.

The memo also explains how a quiet zone works. A town first has to offset the extra risk of trains not sounding their horns. Tequesta added some safety measures at the crossing several years ago because of the dual track, one of which carries high-speed rail. The markings are the next item on that list. If you drive through the crossing in the next several weeks and see lanes milled down or restriped, that is the work holding up the quiet zone.

Why You Will Still Hear Horns After It Is Done

When the quiet zone is in place, train horns will be quieter in Tequesta, but they won't stop. The Village's September 2026 manager's report puts it this way:

"Residents should expect realistic limits on horn silence: horns will still sound when needed for safety or emergencies, and will continue at the nearby County Line Road crossing, where a Quiet Zone has not been established."

A quiet zone covers specific crossings, not the whole town. Three crossings sit close together here, and each belongs to a different government:

The 2024 memo said Martin County would review the County Line crossing in September 2024. As of the September 2026 report, that crossing still has no quiet zone. How much quieter things get depends on which crossing is closest to you. On the north end of the Village, horns from County Line Road will still carry after the Tequesta Drive work is finished.

The Bridge Is Waiting on the Tide

Farther along Tequesta Drive, the bridge restoration has a different holdup. The Village advertised the job on December 19, 2025, and opened bids on February 4, 2026. The scope covers the spandrel, steel sheet piles, expansion joints, pavers, pile cap and walkway header. The contract allows 90 working days to substantial completion, counted from the Notice to Proceed.

According to the September report, the concrete spalling repairs and paver walkway repairs are done. Crews have cleaned the corrosion off the steel sheeting on both sides of the bridge, removed the old cap and set reinforcing bar for a new concrete encasement. About 75% of the bridge has been pressure-washed, and 40% has its first coat of paint.

The concrete pour can't happen until the king tide goes down and the water is low enough to work. Rain and king tides have already pushed the job back about a week. Crews are also getting ready to install vinyl sheeting to stabilize the northeast side. The report gives no completion date, and the next major step depends on the water level at the bridge.

On the 300 Block, a Bistro Is Being Rebuilt

The third project is private, but it fits the same pattern. In August, JupiterDaily reported that Tequesta Restaurant Group, a new company started by four local residents, had bought Local's Pub at 381 Tequesta Drive and The Salty Zebra next door at 377 Tequesta Drive. The founders are Gary Haseley, Dan Reedy, Bob Bailey and Ken Kennerly.

The two buildings are going in different directions:

• Local's Pub, 381 Tequesta Drive, stays open with its current atmosphere, menu favorites, live entertainment and staff, according to the new owners. JupiterDaily noted that the pub's website promotes live music on Thursday and Friday nights, sports on big screens and a no-reservations policy.
• The Salty Zebra, 377 Tequesta Drive, gets a complete renovation and reopens as The Pub Tequesta. The group describes it as an upscale sports and dining spot with elevated food and cocktails, live entertainment, premium TVs and a state-of-the-art audiovisual system.

The Salty Zebra was a modern American bistro known for a chef-driven menu with locally sourced ingredients. The new owners expected renovations to finish by late November 2026. They said more details on the menu and reopening plans would come as the work moves along. For now, late November is the owners' target, not a confirmed opening date.

What Is Already Open at 373

One building on the block isn't waiting on anything. The Lighthouse ArtCenter at 373 Tequesta Drive is a few doors from the Pub Tequesta site, and its fall calendar is already set. "LUSH 4: A Contemporary Ceramics Biennial" is on view through November 14. The ArtCenter's Annual Faculty & Community Exhibition follows from December 3 to 12, and its Community Holiday Art Sale is Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The crossing corrections and The Pub Tequesta both have late-fall targets, and the holiday calendar on this stretch begins right after them. These are the dates already on the calendar for Tequesta Drive and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse just to the south:

December 5 is the fullest day on the list. The art sale runs during the day on Tequesta Drive. That evening, the boat parade leaves North Palm Beach around 6 p.m., heads north on the Intracoastal and is expected to reach the Jupiter Lighthouse finale around 8 p.m. Luminary Nights is new to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse this year and runs on two weekends after that.

The next sign of progress at the crossing will be milling equipment and fresh striping in the travel lanes. The Village's next monthly project report should say whether that work stayed on its October–November schedule.

Construction and permitting have been part of my work for more than 15 years, so I follow projects like the Tequesta Drive crossing and bridge closely. If you're wondering how changes along your part of the Village affect your home's value, Trisha Hutchinson can give you a current read on it. Get Your Home Valuation.