If you've waited near Banana River Drive since August with northbound traffic squeezed into one lane, you probably know the work by its delays. You may not know what it will leave behind on South Patrick Drive in Indian Harbour Beach. The design adds designated bike lanes, rebuilt sidewalks and curbs, and new ADA curb ramps along the corridor. The stretch most ready for that change is a short run of storefronts between 1869 and 1889 S. Patrick Drive, where a fourth food business has just filed to open.
What the crews are actually building
The project is FDOT 448792-1. It is a $10.2 million job covering 5.235 miles of State Road 513, from Eau Gallie Boulevard south to Patrick Space Force Base, through Indian Harbour Beach and Satellite Beach. The FDOT project page lists the work as milling and resurfacing the road, adding designated bicycle lanes, reconstructing sidewalks and curbs, and rebuilding pedestrian curb ramps to current Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
The contractor is OHLA USA, Inc., under contract T5844. In FDOT's update to the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization for its October 5 meeting, the ongoing work included friction course paving along the whole project, curb ramp reconstruction at several spots between Patrick Space Force Base and Eau Gallie Boulevard, and a sewer force main for Brevard County near Banana River Drive.
Resurfacing makes the ride smoother. The bike lanes and sidewalks matter more on a corridor this short, because they change how comfortable it is to cover a few blocks without a car.
Why Banana River Drive has been down to two lanes
The force main is the reason for the tightest spot. FDOT's lane-closure advisory says the traffic shift at South Patrick and Banana River Drive started as early as Sunday, August 2. It moves northbound traffic onto the southbound side with one lane each way and closes the eastbound Banana River Drive access. The advisory says the shift would last "approximately three months."
Spectrum News 13 reported on September 28 that FDOT spokeswoman Cindi Lane said only two lanes are open near Banana River Drive because installing the force main needs a clear area along the roadside to keep drivers and workers safe. The same report said crews are paving at night to limit the effect on daytime traffic, and that FDOT expected the traffic configuration to return to normal by the end of October.
The end-of-October date was an expectation, and FDOT's lane closures page still carries the shift advisory. That page also warns of intermittent single-lane closures during the day and at night across the project. Expect cones along the corridor even after Banana River Drive reopens.
The finish line keeps moving
The completion estimate has slipped since the project began, and the sources don't all agree:
- March 30, 2026. The City of Indian Harbour Beach notice said construction would begin March 29 and finish in Fall 2026.
- FDOT's project page. The current page lists the estimated completion as Early 2027.
- September 28, 2026. Spectrum reported FDOT's expectation that the full project would be done by the end of the year.
- October 5, 2026. FDOT's update to the Space Coast TPO again gave Early 2027.
The most recent official figure is Early 2027. In practice, the holidays and probably the first weeks of the new year will still include some construction. The lane shift at Banana River Drive should end well before the project does.
Twenty street numbers, three kitchens and a fourth on the way
Look at the 1800 block of S. Patrick Drive on the map and the addresses barely change from one door to the next. Here's what sits there now, plus the newcomer:
| Address | Business | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1869 S. Patrick Dr. | Happy Healthy Human | Raw vegan cafe with a market for organic produce |
| 1875 S. Patrick Dr., Unit E | Drifters Surf Restro | Restaurant that opened in early 2025 |
| 1879 S. Patrick Dr. | Dano's Pizza By The Shore | Pizza for dine-in, takeout and delivery, open daily |
| 1889 S. Patrick Dr. | Peaks Cafe | Planned cafe, opening date not announced |
Happy Healthy Human works as both a cafe and a small market. You can order an açaí bowl and a cold-pressed juice, then take home organic produce. The market is open Tuesday through Saturday and the kitchen closes in mid-afternoon. Both are closed Sunday and Monday. Florida Today covered Drifters Surf Restro's opening in February 2025 and described a menu inspired by the owners' travels. Its own site lists the address as 1875 South Patrick Drive, Unit E, and dinner service Monday through Saturday starting at 5. Dano's Pizza By The Shore operates in the space that used to be Tommy's Beachside Pizza and serves every day.
The newest entry is at the end of the row. WhatNow reported on October 10 that Peaks Cafe is planned for 1889 S. Patrick Drive, based on a listing with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Peaks Cafe LLC was formed on August 25, 2026, and its principal address is on Anchor Drive in Indian Harbour Beach. The menu, hours, seating and opening date have not been made public. A local company is adding a cafe to this block while the road out front is being rebuilt.
Dollar General's Indian Harbour Beach store is at 1831 South Patrick Drive.
The bookends: Too Cool Cafe and Gleason Park
The 1800 block isn't the corridor's only food stop. Too Cool Cafe is a little farther south at 2051 S. Patrick Drive, with posted hours and online ordering. In the other direction, Gleason Park sits at the corner of South Patrick Drive and Yacht Club Boulevard. The city's Parks & Facilities listing gives its address as 1233 Yacht Club Boulevard. Its facility page describes a pool, playgrounds, a walking and exercise trail, and picnic facilities. We've written before about how much of the weekend in Indian Harbour Beach centers on Gleason Park. With designated bike lanes and rebuilt sidewalks on South Patrick, the park and the 1800 block become one connected trip on the same road.
The city is working on the side streets too. In the City Manager's report in the October 13 council packet, staff reported a $17,590 bid to repair sidewalks on Pinetree Drive, Ronnie Drive and Flotilla Club Drive, along with stormwater inlet-top work on Inwood Lane and at 609 DeSoto Place. Compared with the $10.2 million state project, that's a small budget item. It still helps the same short trips that end at South Patrick.
Getting to the row while the cones are still out
Until FDOT confirms the corridor is fully back to normal, a few points from the project notices help with timing:
- Banana River Drive: The advisory closes eastbound access at that intersection, so a route that has turned there for years may need a detour until the shift ends.
- Nights: Paving happens overnight, according to the Spectrum News 13 report. A late drive home on South Patrick may slow down even when daytime traffic moves well.
- Single-lane closures: FDOT lists intermittent daytime and nighttime closures across the full 5.2-mile project. Its lane closures page is the place to check before you leave.
- Mondays: Happy Healthy Human is closed Sundays and Mondays, and Drifters opens at 5, so on a Monday, lunch on the 1800 block means Dano's.
The project page lists an FDOT communications contact, Ashley Ingham, at (321) 634-6111 for questions about the work. For more on the city around this corridor, see our Indian Harbour Beach neighborhood page.
At Megan Ross, we track South Patrick Drive block by block. A new sidewalk, a cafe opening or a lane shift that finally ends all change daily life near the corridor, and they also shape how buyers see a home there. If you own a home near South Patrick and want to know how the corridor's next few months could affect your plans, schedule a free consultation or start with an instant home valuation.
