City of Fort Walton Beach delays intersection changes meant to reduce crashes at Beal Parkway and First Street due to weather
Fort Walton Beach, Florida – Weather has pushed back the start of a planned traffic safety project at Beal Parkway and First Street in Fort Walton Beach, delaying work that was expected to bring partial lane closures on June 16 and 17.
City officials said construction has been delayed because of weather. A new start date has not yet been identified, and the city said it will provide another update once the revised schedule is set.
The project was originally scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, and Wednesday, June 17, 2026. During that window, the turn lane and one northbound lane of Beal Parkway near First Street were expected to be closed while a contractor installed traffic separators and restriped traffic lines.
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The work is part of a City of Fort Walton Beach effort, carried out with permission from the Florida Department of Transportation, to change how vehicles move through the intersection of Beal Parkway, also known as State Road 189, and First Street. The goal is simple: reduce dangerous crashes at a busy crossing that city officials say has become one of the area’s most troubling traffic spots.
Once the work is complete, drivers on First Street, whether heading eastbound or westbound, will only be able to turn right onto Beal Parkway. Drivers traveling northbound or southbound on Beal Parkway will no longer be allowed to turn left onto First Street. Flexible barrier posts will be placed at the intersection to stop vehicles from crossing into oncoming traffic.
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The change follows a traffic study that documented 35 crashes at the intersection from 2017 through 2022. Of those crashes, 28 were right-angle, or T-bone, collisions. Nine led to injuries serious enough that at least one person had to be taken to a medical facility.
“The intersection of Beal Parkway and First Street is one of the highest crash locations in the City of Fort Walton Beach,” said Fort Walton Beach Police Chief Robert Bage. “This change came out of a joint effort between the City and FDOT. A 2022 traffic study recommended adding a six-phase signal at this intersection, but there is no funding for that project currently. As an intermediate step to improve safety, turning movements will be limited to right turns only. This should improve traffic safety in the area.”
Bage also noted that crashes appear to be rising as more drivers use the intersection as an alternative to U.S. Highway 98. In the past 12 months alone, there have been 26 crashes there.
