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Safer Travel for Bikers Through Panama City Highway Project
04/20/09 - 01:02 PM
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Work continues in a big road project on Highway 98 in Panama City.  Road crews are preparing to repave the inside lanes of 98 in the intersection improvement project of College Drive and Avenue D in front of Gulf Coast Community College.  This work usually started later in the evening but is now extended so the resurfacing can actually begin earlier at 6 p.m.

This work to repave the inside lanes in that part of the highway comes after News 13 contacted the Florida Department of Transportation about safety issues.  Louis Gigis, a Bay County biker, sent me an email and wanted to know if anything could be done to make the section of highway smoother before a popular event comes up.  So, I took those concerns straight to the D-O-T. 

It is a massive intersection improvement project that began several months ago.  The project is designed to change the lanes of traffic and even affects the entrance to Gulf Coast Community College.  But, the issue at hand has been the rough surface of the pavement in the work zone… described as looking like a chicken wire fence.  For some time, this pavement has been undergoing prep work for a new surface.
If you drive a car or truck over this rough pavement it is not really a big deal.  But it apparently is on a bike.  Bikers tell me the pavement feels like a riding on a long draw bridge and the pavement makes the bike feel like it is floating.

Fears had been raised about the thousands of bikers expected to travel thru the intersection on the way to the spring Thunder Beach event.  But, after hearing about the concerns, FDOT took action.
FDOT District Information Director Tommie Speights says, “With you notifying us of the concerns of the general biking public and realizing the event is forthcoming… we met with the contractor and tentatively, weather permitting of course, we plan to pave the inside lanes in that area and overhead message boards will be used at Hathaway Bridge to alert and inform bikers to use inside lanes thru that work zone.
Tommie Speights says FDOT had planned to have the entire project completed prior to the start of Thunder Beach, but work was delayed by inclement weather.
So, crews will continue paving at night beginning at 6 p.m. each evening until the projected finish this coming Thursday the 23rd.  And again, signs will be posted in the work zone directing bikers to use the newly paved inside lanes…for a better ride.

A big thanks to FDOT for acting so quickly to make the road safer to travel for bikers.  The D-O-T says weather permitting, the entire intersection project should be completed by July 4.