At the 2009 groundbreaking for the Mid-Bay Bridge Connector, Mid-Bay Bridge Authority chairman Jimmy Neilson shared a mantra.
“Don’t wait for gridlock,” he said.
In the four years since, gridlock is something residents of Crestview, south Okaloosa County and Niceville have come to know well, particularly during the summer tourist season.
But Saturday, with the opening of the connector, the Bridge Authority will have taken a major step toward moving through traffic off the roads in Niceville.
“The connector is going to relieve a lot of congestion, particularly traffic on state Highway 20 in Niceville,” said Jim Vest, who as executive director of the Mid-Bay Bridge Authority has been largely responsible for overseeing the five-year project.
See photos of the bridge's history and aerial photos of bridge construction. >>
The $140 million connector will complete a 16-mile limited access route running from State Road 85 just north of Niceville to U.S. Highway 98 at Danny Wuerffel Way in Destin.
Its primary purpose is to smooth the flow of tourist traffic to and from the Destin area.
Vest said the connector will save travelers 20 minutes on their commute from one end of Okaloosa County to the other by eliminating 14 stoplights in the Niceville area.
The bypass comes with a price tag, however. Drivers without a SunPass will be charged a $1.50 toll. Those with a SunPass will pay $1.
The connector will run almost exclusively through Eglin Air Force Base’s reservation, although one short stretch north of Niceville cuts across 11 acres ceded to the Bridge Authority by Ruckel Properties.
The connector is viewed not only as a people mover, but also as a hurricane evacuation route. It also has been promoted as improving response times during Air Force emergencies.
What will the Mid-Bay Bridge Connector mean? The $140 million Mid-Bay Bridge Connector toll road will open to the public between 4 and 5 p.m. Saturday.
Motorists will be able to travel the 11-mile connector for free until 12:01 a.m. Monday.
See Sunday’s Northwest Florida Daily News for information about the innovative way tolls will be collected on the connector and the road’s potential impact on the local economy.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.
