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West Bay Parkway At Least 5 Years Away
11/03/09 - 10:18 PM
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Mary Scott Speigner - bio
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click for larger image Panama City, Fla:

The Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport is set to open in about six months, but will there be adequate roadways for the traffic?

A shortcut road from the new airport to Walton County known as the West Bay Parkway is in the works, but is at least five years away from starting construction.  There is not funding for it right now.

Tuesday night the Department of Transportation held a meeting where they explained the tentative plans for the road to Bay County residents and asked for their input for the new route.

The new airport is on County Road 388, a simple two lane road with little traffic.  But the DOT says the amount of traffic could reach around 30,000 cars per day in 20 years. 

They say a new a road West Bay Parkway will help that.

DOT spokesperson Tommie Speights says the road will help with, “easing the congestion, better access to the new airport that will be opening next year, a better evacuation route.  All combined to make a better thoroughfare.”

West Bay Parkway will basically be an extension of C.R. 388.  The DOT says it will be four lane and 24 miles long.

So far they are only in the research phase.  They have it divided into two different projects divided by Highway 79.  Segment one would build a new road through Walton County and end up on Highway 98.  There are 9 proposed alternatives.  Segment two would simply expand 388.

Many Bay County residents think it’s a good thing.

“The amount of traffic that they’re projecting for the coming years it’s going to really extreme and so I feel it’s a much needed project,” said John Montgomery, a Bay County Resident.

But others are voicing their concerns.

“It could be a lot of noise and everything and I sure don’t want that,” said Fran Schoonmaker.

“We understand that there’s a need for future development but we would like to see it done with as little environmental impact as possible,” said Chris Forman.

The same meeting will be held for Walton County residents to voice their opinions on Thursday at Christian International ministries in Santa Rosa Beach.

User Comments

Well gee, bubba, you built this thing out in the middle of nowhere on a little pig trail of a road and then realize this just as it’s getting ready to open?  Goll-eeeee!  I thought this thing was just going to jump up out nowhere and suddenly solve every problem Bay County would ever have. Now you realize that you have to have a road to it?  Nice planning, IDIOTS!!!!

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  11/04  at  08:03 AM
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