Temporary road closure part of larger Brooks Bridge replacement and widening project
Fort Walton Beach, Florida – Ongoing drainage and road rebuilding projects have closed off a section of Florida Blanca Place just east of Brooks Street in Fort Walton Beach. Crews will stay on-site, according to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), until required underground piping and roadbed repairs are complete.
For the duration of the project, drivers who usually travel this stretch will be redirected onto First Street and Brooks Street. Well in advance of the closure sites, detour signs have been put up to direct motorists along the alternate route. Officials underlined that these sign policies are meant to maintain smooth traffic flow and reduce confusion during busy travel periods.
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FDOT has promised locals and business owners that local access will not be disturbed despite the closure of this section of Florida Blanca Place. Driveways and parking lots next to the work area will stay open, so enabling customer traffic and deliveries to go on without delay. Direct notifications to property owners have guaranteed quick handling of any particular access requirements.
Florida Blanca Place will revert to its former two-way layout after the road surface has been reconstructed and the drainage pipes are in position. Weather allowing, FDOT engineers expect to reopen this section to normal traffic patterns in the next few weeks. Work nearing completion will reveal a formal reopening date.
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This temporary closure is one piece of a much larger effort to replace the aging John T. Brooks Bridge, originally opened in 1966, with two brand-new, parallel spans. The $171 million design-build project will increase the corridor to six travel lanes—three in each direction—up from the current four lanes.
Apart from just broadening the road, the new bridges will feature 10-foot inside and outside shoulders for extra safety. Dedicated 12-foot shared-use paths on both sides of the building, including protective barriers, spectacular views, and shaded resting spots, will also help pedestrians and cyclists.
Satisfying U.S. Coast Guard criteria for maritime traffic, the replacement bridge will stretch 2,111 feet across the Santa Rosa Sound and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway—almost 800 feet longer than the current span—offering more vertical clearance of 65 feet via a 150-foot central channel. Upgrades at intersections on each side of the bridge—from Eglin Parkway on the Fort Walton Beach side to Pier Road on Okaloosa Island—will enhance traffic flow and bring crossings into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Averaging 66,000 cars daily, this stretch of U.S. 98 ranks among the busiest in the area. FDOT wants to lower congestion and improve safety for all users by removing the current traffic signal at the Santa Rosa Boulevard intersection and extending the new structure past that intersection.
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Project officials anticipate the Brooks Bridge replacement to be finished by summer 2027. The temporary closure of Florida Blanca Place is, in the meantime, a required action toward providing the community a more resilient, efficient, and multimodal crossing.
