A major road project kicks off Thursday along U.S. Highway 98 from the Okaloosa-Santa Rosa County line west to the Gulf Breeze Zoo.
The $12.3 million job is projected to be completed by the winter of 2015, said Ian Satter, district spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation.
“(Motorists are) going to see crews out there starting to get set up for the job,” he said.
The project includes resurfacing the entire 11.2-mile stretch and widening shoulders along the highway.
“There’s some resurfacing and we’re also going to put in some keyhole lanes, which are bicycle lanes,” Satter said. “ … They allow the bicyclists to have a continuous bike lane between the lane of traffic and that right turn lane.”
Crews also will make drainage improvements at locations along the road.
DOT officials warn residents and business owners that the extensive project will cause traffic delays and lane closures, although there will be closures only between 7 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
“We’re doing the work at night so we’re not impacting traffic as much,” Satter said. “You might see some daytime work when it comes to the drainage work and the pedestrian improvements we’re doing.”
The construction will coincide with the area’s heaviest summer traffic.
Kate Wilkes, executive director of the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council, said Navarre’s worst traffic occurs on the weekend.
“I’m sure if there’s construction going on … it will affect us,” she said. “On Friday and Saturday and Sunday we do have trouble. People are getting off the beach. People are getting on the beach.”
But Wilkes said she doesn’t think the construction delays will hurt tourism in any way.
“If what they’re doing is going to make (U.S. Highway 98) safer, then we’ll put up with it,” she said.
Satter said the DOT reminds motorists to drive carefully through the construction zone.
“Regardless of the lane closures at night, there will be crews out there at different times, so we urge caution at all times,” he said.
For more information about the project, go to US98NavarreParkway on Facebook.com.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.