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Northwest Florida Road News

Started by FLRoads, February 26, 2009, 12:57:14 PM

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Alex

Drainage work marks start of Eglin Parkway project

QuoteAfter the drainage work is done, the resurfacing will get begin.

The 4.5-mile project also will include new sidewalks, road markings and signage, as well as improvement to the intersection of Eglin and Hollywood Boulevard.

Any lane closures required for the milling and resurfacing will be from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The 18-month, $6.9 million project will continue into 2013.


Alex

The solution to everything, a new traffic light!!!  :pan: Will be the 5th one added since late 2008...

'Bloody 98' to get new traffic signal at intersection where 2 women were killed

QuoteA new traffic signal could be in place as early as midsummer on a deadly stretch of U.S. 98 near Gulf Breeze.

State Rep. Doug Broxson said the Florida Department of Transportation has agreed to install a signal on U.S. 98 near where two pedestrians recently were struck and killed. Greenbriar Parkway is north of the intersection, and Country Club Drive is to the south.

"It's a unique section of road where we have a lot of pedestrian traffic because of the mix of residential neighborhoods and businesses," said Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze. "There's a shopping center on one side and fast food on the other side – just a lot of pedestrian traffic in that area. This will, if nothing else, slow traffic down and give people the opportunity to safely cross."

In March, pedestrians Deborah Rector and Christine Nelson were killed in separate incidents while each was trying to cross U.S. 98 near the Greenbriar Parkway/Country Club Drive intersection. A third pedestrian, William Hopkins Jr., also was hit and killed in March as he tried to cross U.S. 98 in Navarre.

The three deaths prompted the Santa Rosa County Commission to ask the state to address pedestrian safety on U.S. 98. At that time, Commissioner Lane Lynchard – whose district includes the Greenbriar/Country Club intersection – called that stretch of road "a racetrack" despite its 45 mph speed limit.

Lynchard praised the state's quick action.

"This is an outstanding result," he said. "That's a fairly long stretch in a congested, highly populated area that doesn't have a light. There's a good bit of speeding there. There also is no convenient crosswalk. This will give pedestrians a safe place to cross Highway 98."

The new light will likely include a marked crosswalk and pedestrian signals, according to DOT spokesman Ian Satter. Such systems typically cost $200,000 to $250,000, he said.

Broxson hopes the new light can be in place by midsummer, after the engineering and design for the project is completed. Satter said the timeline will depend on how the project is funded, which has not been determined.

In addition to the signal, DOT has scheduled a road-safety study on U.S. 98 from Gulf Breeze to the Okaloosa County line, to be conducted this summer. The study will include a review of safety conditions and historical data about the roadway as well speed limits, sight distances and other factors.

"I think that we will have a better understanding of traffic flow and where the problems potentially will come from in the future and what the long-term solutions will be when the state, eventually, widens that road," Broxson said. "They will have to consider pedestrian traffic."

Lynchard hopes the study results in better lighting, especially in the area between the Wal-mart Supercenter in Tiger Point and College Parkway, the area where the two women were killed.

"It's a very dark section of Highway 98 at night," he said. "There's not much ambient lighting. There are no street lights there, but there is a lot of residential population."

agentsteel53

god damn, people, look both ways before crossing the expressway.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

florida

Better planning would have let the "racetrack" be itself without any issues....but money first and pain later has always been the mantra down here.
So many roads...so little time.

Alex

SRIA to vote to return toll booth operations to county

QuoteEscambia County wants to take back the management and operations of the Bob Sikes Bridge toll booth as it prepares to completely overhaul the toll plaza operations by the summer season of 2014.

lamsalfl

I would LOVE to see Sunpass accepted on the Pensacola Beach toll bridge.  Maybe the county and the Turnpike people can work out a deal. :)

DeaconG

Quote from: lamsalfl on April 29, 2012, 02:03:42 AM
I would LOVE to see Sunpass accepted on the Pensacola Beach toll bridge.  Maybe the county and the Turnpike people can work out a deal. :)

+1!  It irked me badly when I went to Pensacola Beach back in late 2010 and they wouldn't take SunPass...
Dawnstar: "You're an ape! And you can talk!"
King Solovar: "And you're a human with wings! Reality holds surprises for everyone!"
-Crisis On Infinite Earths #2

Alex

FDOT fast-tracking traffic signal at dangerous section of U.S. 98

QuoteBut Ian Satter, FDOT spokesman, said it will still be roughly four months before the signal in the busy stretch of the highway will be installed.

"What we're looking at is getting the materials to construct that signal,"  Satter said. "If the contractor can get the materials sooner, we want to construct the signal as soon as possible. We are working very hard to get that light up, but everything is weather permitting."

The signal and crosswalk improvements are in the design phase, and the total cost of the project is still being calculated.

The goal of the signal is to make it safer for pedestrians to cross the highway and slow down traffic.

:banghead:

florida

Cross-posting from the big FL thread.

SR 293 has been (re)added on its new alignment from the Toll Plaza to Range Road [2.757 miles, added 5/22/12]
So many roads...so little time.

Alex

Duke Field overpass taking shape

QuoteEGLIN AFB – Work is progressing on an overpass across State Road 85 to link Duke Field and the Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) cantonment.

The project is expected to wrap up next February.

That's good news for motorists traveling along Okaloosa County's only major north-south artery.

When the 7th Special Forces Group moved to its new home on Eglin Air Force Base property south of Crestview last year, traffic at SR 85's intersection with the former McWhorter Avenue serving Duke Field increased dramatically after 77th Special Forces Way to the cantonment opened at the same intersection.

Work started in March 2011 on the $10.9-million road work. A traffic light was added to the intersection ahead of the project.

EmeraldCoast93

Flyover enters final stage

Quote
VALPARAISO – Almost two years after it started, construction on the flyover at the intersection of state roads 85 and 123 has entered its final phase.

The $25.6 million project, which began in August 2009, is scheduled to be finished sometime this fall or by the end of the year.

Crews have most of the flyover bridge in place and are beginning to focus on the "finishing touches,"  DOT district spokesman Ian Satter said.

Alex

Work at Five Points intersection in Pace has begun

QuoteConstruction has begun on a $1.9 million project to realign a busy intersection in Pace.

Work on the Five Points intersection – where Woodbine Road, Chumuckla Highway, Quintette Road and Berryhill Road meet – began last week and is expected to continue for nine months.

The busiest of those roads is Woodbine, which the state Department of Transportation says is traveled by 12,500 cars a day.

The improvements include realigning Berryhill Road from Ashmore Lane to Chumuckla Highway.

The realignment will move the current intersection about 500 feet north and create a two lane rural roadway section north of Berryhill Road connecting to Chumuckla Highway.

Alex

Street lighting OKed for U.S. 98, Santa Rosa commissioner says

QuoteThe state Department of Transportation has agreed to install street lighting along U.S. 98 between Gulf Breeze and the Okaloosa County line, Santa Rosa County Commissioner Lane Lynchard told the News Journal this morning.

"I think it is going to vastly include safety on U.S. 98,"  said Lynchard, whose District 5 includes the Gulf Breeze/Tiger Point area. "The road safety audit that DOT undertook showed that most of the accidents occurred at night. One of the primary contributing factors is a lack of lighting along the corridor."

The study was conducted after a series of pedestrian deaths along U.S. 98 this spring.

"They have allocated about $3 million to construction and installation of the lights, then there will be a cost-share with the state and county for maintenance,"  Lynchard said. "The intent is to have the installation complete by this fall."  

Alex

SR 123 flyover nearing completion

Quote
The project began in August 2009 as part of a $25.6 million effort to seamlessly connect SR 85 northbound to SR 123 northbound, widen portions of both roadways, improve the entrance to Northwest Florida Regional Airport and increase safety at the busy intersection.

"Right now, we're on schedule for opening the flyover, which is the last large milestone we have for this project,"  Florida Department of Transportation district spokesman Ian Satter said.

The DOT earlier had announced the flyover would open this week, but because of the significant amount of rainfall the area has gotten, Satter said it is likely the opening will be pushed back to later this week or early next week.

"We have to finish paving and striping and obviously we can't do those things while it's still raining,"  Satter said.

Once paving and striping are completed, the construction team will transition traffic to the new flyover structure during overnight hours to minimize traffic impacts.

"We really want to finish up as soon as we can,"  Satter said.

Additional work on the project will include final paving, which will require periodic lane closures that will occur at night. The project is slated to be completely finished this fall.

"People have seen us there for three years and have been waiting a long time for this to happen,"  Satter said. "We'll finally see an end to it this fall."

Alex

http://ow.ly/d/MP9

Three years of road work to widen 4.6 miles of US 331 (Choctawhatchee Relief Bridge to Florida 20) commenced this month. The project adds three traffic lights as well: Short Avenue / Jolly Bay Road, LaGrange Road / Ramsey Branch Road and County Road 3280.

Additionally a Facebook page on the project was set up: https://www.facebook.com/UsHighway331

Alex

DOT: SR 123 flyover could open next week

QuoteCompletion of the State Road 123 flyover, delayed because of Hurricane Isaac, is expected next week.

QuoteThe DOT announced in early August that the flyover was expected to open late last month. However, heavy rains and then Isaac delayed the completion.

Some minor striping and signage work must be finished before the flyover can open. Next week's completion date depends on the weather, Satter said.

No ceremony marking the project's completion has been scheduled

FLRoads

Florida 123 flyover to open Wednesday night

Looks like the Florida 123 northbound flyover is opening sooner than later...

QuoteAfter three years of construction, the State Road 123 flyover is set to open late Wednesday night.

The new ramp will move northbound traffic from State Road 85 to SR 123 to loosen congestion at the busy intersection near Northwest Florida Regional Airport.

The flyover is set to open about 11 p.m. Wednesday, he said. Starting at 8:30 p.m., northbound SR 85 between General Bond and SR 123 will be reduced to one lane while construction crews install overhead signs. Overnight Thursday, southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane along the same stretch.

Temporary electronic message signs will be in place tonight to guide drivers through the new interchange.

Alex

SR 123 flyover opens Friday

Quote

VALPARAISO – After several delays, the flyover ramp at State Road 85 and State Road 123 opened early Friday.

Motorists began using the ramp at 4:30 a.m., said Ian Satter, district spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation.

"Traffic is flowing well across the bridge and it appears everything is going well,"  Satter said later Friday morning.

The ramp was originally scheduled to open last month, but was delayed by frequent rain and Hurricane Isaac. The project, which was funded by federal stimulus money, began August 2009.

Crews still must erect some signage, but Satter said a crane will likely not be used because of the traffic jam it would cause.

One of the last major traffic shifts will take place Wednesday when southbound SR 123 traffic moves from the detour onto the new road.

"Basically, southbound (SR) 123 traffic will continue to southbound (SR) 85 and it will flow seamlessly by the ramp,"  Satter said. "Northbound (SR) 123 to north (SR) 85 will turn left onto temporary asphalt onto a different ramp."

Satter said work will continue near the intersection for the next few months while the traffic signal at SR 123 is removed and other tasks are completed.

codyg1985

Quote from: Alex on April 18, 2012, 10:31:20 AM
The solution to everything, a new traffic light!!!  :pan: Will be the 5th one added since late 2008...

'Bloody 98' to get new traffic signal at intersection where 2 women were killed

So there is a Bloody 98 in Alabama and in Florida...

On a side note, you can't engineer for stupidity (failure to look both ways).
Cody Goodman
Huntsville, AL, United States

NE2

Quote from: codyg1985 on September 25, 2012, 09:01:32 AM
On a side note, you can engineer for stupidity (failure to yield to peds).
The original link is down, but this is more likely the cause of the crash.
pre-1945 Florida route log

I accept and respect your identity as long as it's not dumb shit like "identifying as a vaccinated attack helicopter".

Alex

J. Earle Bowden Way beach road repairs to being soon

QuoteRepairs are expected to begin in about a week on J. Earle Bowden Way, or State Road 399, between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach.

The seven-mile stretch through the Gulf Islands National Seashore was damaged during Hurricane Isaac last month and has been closed to the public since.

Several sections of the road caved in when Isaac's storm surge rushed across the barrier island. Estimated cost of repairs is $700,000.

QuoteThe actual repair work should take about three to four weeks, pending weather,"  he said. "That would take us to the end of October or early November. The contract includes repairs both to Highway 399 and road shoulder repairs on the Fort Pickens Road."

Alex

Navarre Beach Bridge repairs set to begin Monday

QuoteThe first major repair work to the Navarre Beach Bridge since Santa Rosa County took ownership in 2006 is expected to start Monday.

The $2.4 million project will include repairs to the bridge fender system, replacement of pedestrian railings, concrete spall and crack repairs, replacement of expansion joints and steel replacement and repair.

QuoteThe job is expected to take six months and most of the work will be done during daylight hours, Blaylock said.

Alex

The Pensacola Bay Bridge PD&E web site was updated with documents from yesterday's public involvement meeting. One of the proposals considered includes a flyover ramp from 17th Avenue south onto U.S. 98 east. All proposals include six overall lanes with bike/pedestrian paths.

http://www.pensacolabaybridge.com/involvement.html

Alex

National Seashore road expected to reopen by Thanksgiving

QuoteOne of the most scenic coastal roads in our area is expected to reopen before Thanksgiving, Gulf Islands National Seashore superintendent Dan Brown announced today.

J. Earle Bowden Way, or State Road 399, is a seven-mile stretch of road in the Santa Rosa Area of the seashore that links Pensacola Beach to Navarre Beach. It hugs the shoreline and offers unobstructed views of the Gulf of Mexico.

It was extensively damaged during September's Hurricane Isaac and has been closed since.

Alex

DOT to present plans to widen SR 123

QuoteThe project will add two new travel lanes on the west side of the existing road to accommodate southbound traffic. The existing lanes will be reconfigured to serve northbound motorists along the six-mile stretch through Eglin Air Force Base land.

The wider road will feature 12-foot travel lanes and 10-foot shoulders separated by a 64-foot grass median.

The project has been divided into three segments. Only the third segment, which will widen SR 123 from north of Turkey Creek to State Road 85 north, has been funded. The cost is estimated at $10.2 million, and construction is slated to begin in fiscal 2014. It will take about two years to complete, Satter said.

QuoteThe first segment will widen SR 123 from just north of SR 85 south to north of Toms Creek. It will include a new 550-foot bridge over the creek for southbound traffic. The existing bridge will remain for northbound traffic.

The second segment extends from north of Toms Creek to just north of Turkey Creek. It will feature a new 830-foot bridge over Turkey Creek for southbound traffic. The existing bridge will serve northbound motorists.



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