NW Florida Transportation Corridor Plan

from the Report:


This master plan will address the US 98 corridor within Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, and Wakulla Counties. The goals and objectives of the master plan are to identify areas of the US 98 corridor where mobility, traffic safety, and efficient hurricane evacuation need to be improved; evaluate the economic development potential of the corridor and consider strategies to develop that potential; develop methods of building partnerships with local governments, other state and federal entities, the private-sector business community, and the public in support of corridor improvements; and to identify projects that will accomplish these goals and objectives.

Ok, I'm having a hard time posting the maps, but they are proposing a 4 lane, controlled access road running parallel to Hwy 20 from Panama City to P'cola.

South Walton would get a new 4 lane connector road running from 98, close to Rosemary Beach, across the Intracoastal to connect to the new east-west highway. (Also creating a direct route to the new airport......cynics, please jump in here!)

Timmy, I see item #'s 38 and 40, but don't see the new road across the intracoastal. Which item # is that?

Ok, I'm having a hard time posting the maps, but they are proposing a 4 lane, controlled access road running parallel to Hwy 20 from Panama City to P'cola.

South Walton would get a new 4 lane connector road running from 98, close to Rosemary Beach, across the Intracoastal to connect to the new east-west highway. (Also creating a direct route to the new airport......cynics, please jump in here!)

I've been hearing about the bridge for a number of years. I always assumed an expressway would be created over the canal from SoWal to the airport, and this would subsequently cause an increase in property prices here. [Actually it is from 98 in eastern SoWal across the canal to 79 at the 3280 intersection north of the bay.]

Thanks for posting!

Here is a map showing the proposed airport to 98 connector.

cancel that. I now see the map.

I've been hearing about the bridge for a number of years. I always assumed an expressway would be created over the canal from SoWal to the airport, and this would subsequently cause an increase in property prices here. [Actually it is from 98 in eastern SoWal across the canal to 79 at the 3280 intersection north of the bay.]

Thanks for posting!

There is already an existing dirt road called Side Camp Road that goes from Hwy-98/Watersound North and runs behind Wild Heron. It comes out on Hwy 79 right across the street from West Bay Elementary. I believe St. Joe owns most, it not all of the land. Maybe they will pave and improve this road? You can find it on Google Earth.

The Rosemary Area Connector would also do wonders to improve hurricane evacuation routes in SoWal, especially if they could build it to be safe to 50mph. As it is, the 331 causeway is about a foot above bay level, and it wouldn't take much to wash out the causeway altogether.

The vestigal bypass around Panama City would also really open up the Cape San Blas/PSJ area to points further west. Right noe, it's such a nightmare to try to get there if you're going through Panama City.

For the most part, it's a decent plan. But right now, there just isn't money from the state or feds to really move on it fast, and I'm not sure if the traffic in some of those places would justify the toll road. Area doesn't need another Bo's Bridge.