South Ocean Boulevard to close for expected Trump Halloween visit

For the third weekend in a row, the coastal road next to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club will close for another expected visit from the commander in chief.

South Ocean Boulevard will be shut to through-traffic between the Southern Boulevard traffic circle and South County Road starting at 5 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, and remain closed until further notice, according to an Oct. 28 announcement from Palm Beach Town Hall.

The closure precedes the expected arrival later in the day of Trump, who would be making his third visit to Palm Beach this season. He most recently visited Mar-a-Lago from Oct. 23-24.

A set of temporary flight restrictions of the level used for presidential travel is expected to be issued for Oct. 30-Nov. 1 for the airspace that includes Mar-a-Lago, according to a Federal Aviation Administration notice. While the notice did not mention Trump by name, such alerts have become early indicators of roughly where and when a president will travel outside of Washington, D.C.

Each visit to Palm Beach by Trump includes the shutdown of South Ocean Boulevard, a security measure that has been put in place many times during the two Trump administrations. The closure effectively divides the town in two, forcing drivers to detour on and off the island if they are trying to get across town.

The security zone runs north from the club property for seven blocks, or about half a mile.

What to expect with Trump in town

Those who live, work or are visiting homes within the area affected by the South Ocean Boulevard’s closure will be allowed into the security zone 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, drawbridge 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 bridges 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 Royal Park 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 Network-Florida. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: South Ocean Boulevard to close for expected Trump Halloween visit

Reporting by Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News

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This story was originally published October 28, 2026 at 9:41 AM.