Baldwin Road widening inches closer

LYNN HAVEN — Traffic bustles in the mornings and afternoons on Baldwin Road, and Haney Technical Center Assistant Principal Antonius Barnes catches traffic at both times of day on the two-lane road.

“At any given point in the day there is a lot of traffic on Baldwin Road,” Barnes said.

Relief should come after a year of construction, scheduled to begin in November.

The Bay County Commission on Tuesday approved a bid of $3.5 million from Roberts & Roberts Inc. for the final phase of widening Baldwin Road. The project includes widening the road from two lanes to four lanes between Harrison and Minnesota avenues, adding turn lanes at State 77 and Minnesota, and adding bike lanes on both sides.

“It will definitely help with the flow of traffic,” Barnes said. “It bottlenecks now.”

The section between Minnesota and Harrison is the last portion to be completed. The sections to the west were finished in 2009.

Public Works Director Ken Schnell expects construction to take a year. Permitting and design began immediately.   

Schnell characterized the intersection of Baldwin and State 77 as a failure in terms of allowing a steady flow of traffic. The project calls for additional left-turn lanes at the intersection of Baldwin and 77 and Baldwin and Minnesota.

“It’s probably one of the most congested routes for a county roadway,” Schnell said.

Rhonda Green is the branch manager at Centennial Bank at the northwest corner of Baldwin and State 77.

“The turn lanes will be a big help,” Green said. “Anything for easy access in and out of the bank. We’re all for that.”

One reason the traffic is so heavy on Baldwin is because there are four schools within a 4-mile radius of the Baldwin-Minnesota intersection: Haney, Mosley High School, Hiland Park Elementary and Bay Haven Charter Academy.

“Traffic is horrendous when I get out at 3:30,” Haney record clerk Shawn Scalf said. “It’s a great idea.”

However, Barnes is concerned about traffic on Baldwin during construction. Schnell said the plan is to work on one direction at a time.

County Commissioner Bill Dozier praised public works for finding funding for the 50/50 matching grant with the Florida Department of Transportation.