PANAMA CITY BEACH — For a minimum of the subsequent few years, roadway building shall be a typical sight for drivers touring a most important freeway on the Beach.
Based on Ian Satter, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation, building stays on observe for a complete state roadway enchancment mission to increase U.S. 98 (Panama Metropolis Seashore Parkway) in Bay County from 4 to 6 lanes.
The mission consists of three segments, two of that are beneath building with a projected completion date of late 2027.
“It is a vital mission for Bay County and the group,” Satter mentioned. “It was a excessive precedence for the Bay County Transportation Planning Group. The (county) has seen vital progress by way of that space, so our mission, clearly, is to enhance security alongside that hall.
“If we will scale back congestion, that may enhance security.”
He famous that Section 1, which can value about $50 million, stretches from Mandy Lane to Nautilus Road. Its building started in September 2023. Section 2, which can value about $60 million, stretches from Nautilus Road to Richard Jackson Boulevard. Its building started in October 2023.
Section 3 is projected to value about $75 million, and it’ll stretch from Richard Jackson Boulevard to the Hathaway Bridge. Its building is tentatively scheduled to start someday in 2026. Like the opposite two segments, it is anticipated to take about 4 years to finish.
FDOT officers have mentioned the mission was break up into segments to assist with planning and securing state funding.
“The mission is transferring alongside very effectively, and we’re hoping to remain on observe,” Satter mentioned. “We do know that when we’ve got a completed, widened, used 98 on the market, it’ll relieve among the points persons are seeing, so far as congestion.”
He additionally mentioned that in building, crews are most lively from about 8 p.m. to six a.m. It’s throughout these instances that drivers would possibly expertise non permanent lane closures to provide crews more room to work. As of Wednesday, such lane closures have been solely occurring in Section 1, however Satter mentioned that may change because the mission progresses.
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Regardless of any visitors shifts, nevertheless, a minimum of one lane in every path of the street will all the time stay open.
“That is simply half and parcel for a large-scale widening mission,” Satter mentioned. “You’ll have lane restrictions, and we do program these within the in a single day hours, when we’ve got the least quantity of impacts to visitors. With the intention to proceed progress and proceed to work, we’ve got to have lane restrictions so these crews can get in there and do what they should do.
“By way of the course of the mission, by way of the subsequent a number of years, totally different areas of the development zone could have lane restrictions throughout in a single day hours … Individuals can count on to see in a single day lane restrictions all through the lifetime of the mission.”
This text initially appeared on The Information Herald: Construction on track for U.S. 98 expansion in Panama City Beach area
