If it seems that drivers have been putting up with traffic cones, lane alterations and construction crews on U.S. Highway 98 between Gulf Breeze and Navarre for years it’s because, well, that’s precisely how long it’s been.
It was April of 2021 that the Florida Department of Transportation embarked on a $69.7 million project to widen U.S. 98 from four to six lanes along a 4.5 mile stretch between Bayshore Road and Portside Drive, through a section of South Santa Rosa commonly known as Tiger Point.
The ongoing widening project had actually been discussed since 1996, when the first public hearing on the issue was held . During the next 25 years, FDOT held more public hearings, went through several right-of-way acquisitions and had design and engineering plans finalized.
It was given the official green light in June 2019 and construction was expected to begin in September 2020, but the effects of Hurricane Sally and the closure of the 3-Mile Bridge connecting Pensacola and Gulf Breeze pushed back the start date.