SPRINGFIELD — The Florida Department of Transportation will present five road placement possibilities to the public during a pair of upcoming meetings to discuss the agency’s Gulf Coast Parkway project.
The proposed Gulf Coast Parkway is a new roadway project to connect U.S. 98 in Gulf County with U.S. 231 north of Panama City and Tyndall Parkway in Bay County.
Public meetings are scheduled for May 6 at the Centennial Building in Port St. Joe and May 8 at the Springfield Community Center. Both meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m., EDT in Port St. Joe and CDT in Springfield.
FDOT Spokesman Ian Satter said the project is still in its preliminary planning stages, which includes extensive environmental studies, and the cost has yet to be determined.
“For the first part of our study, we evaluate everything from impacts to wetlands, the habitats of wildlife in that area, drainage, any noise-sensitive sites, historical sites,” Satter said. “We also look at if we would have to displace any residents or businesses in the corridor.”
FDOT officials will present five different roadway alignments to the public during the meetings. The FDOT’s preferred route would run largely through Callaway.
Satter said that while all five alignments include the same connection to U.S. 98 from Star Ave., each presents a different alignment with U.S. 231.
The first piece of the project to be executed will likely be a 1.4-mile roadway in Bay County to connect U.S. 98 to Star Avenue. The portion is included in the FDOT’s tentative five-year work program, with construction planned for 2016.
Satter said the project will help alleviate traffic problems on U.S. 98, improve emergency evacuation routes and provide an alternate route through Tyndall Air Force Base.
The new roadway will also aid in moving goods from the Port of Port St. Joe to U.S. 231 in the future, Satter said, and increase economic development opportunities and Bay and Gulf Counties.
Copies of the draft project documents will be available for review through May 23 at both the Bay and Gulf County Public Libraries.
390 improvements
The FDOT will also host a second public meeting in Panama City next week to present design plans for a road widening project on State 390 from Baldwin Road to Jenks Ave.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Emerald Coast Fellowship Church’s fellowship hall.
The total project will increase State 390 from two to six lanes from 23rd St. to State 77.
Right-of-way acquisition will begin next year for the 1.8 mile portion of the project from Baldwin Road to Jenks Ave., with construction slated to begin in 2017. The project will also improve drainage, relocate utilities and add bicycle lanes and sidewalks to the roadway.