55,000 acres North of the New Airport ?? News.

[Smiling JOe]

I guess people in Chipley are a little further behind the times than even us in Walton County. Nothing wrong with being a little behind, but getting out more often will help you know what is going on in your own back yard. ER is right, the planners in both Alabama and Florida have been working on this connector for a while.

 

[Smiling JOe]

From old literature on www.NWFTCA.com

ALTERNATIVE 4: Super Max New Corridors (SMNC)
? This alternative was largely similar to the MNC alternative,
with a few subtle changes aimed at achieving
a continuous system of limited access highways
paralleling US 98 and I-10. In Escambia and Santa
Rosa Counties, an alternative bridge alignment was
proposed to connect the area near the Pensacola Airport
with Garcon Point. In Bay County, the Gulf Coast
Parkway was shifted further east to a completely new
alignment connecting the Panama City-Dothan Connector
with Port St. Joe. This corridor bypasses the
Gulf-Bay Parkway, directly connects with a limited
access Gulf-Franklin Parkway, and ultimately the Red
Hills-Coastal Parkway leading towards Georgia north
of Tallahassee.

 

[SHELLY]

"Asked about the projected cost of the toll road, Holman said he had been told it would be about $2 billion and county backing was needed so developers could "float a bond" :funn:for the public/private roadway."

.

 

[00seer00]

"Asked about the projected cost of the toll road, Holman said he had been told it would be about $2 billion and county backing was needed so developers could "float a bond" :funn:for the public/private roadway."

.

http://fosterfollynews.com/home/news/story.php?sid=4286

Yah , a new interstate toll road that would create jobs, help with the interstate commerce, support the growth around the New Airport, add tourism to SOWAL and surrounding areas. It just might help many people in this great nation of ours. Sounds like a bad idea if ? floating a bond? is involved. Hmmm, lets do nothing that?s much safer.

 

[beachmouse]

I go back and forth on whether this would be cost-effective. I've driven through Kentucky and spent a bunch of time on the (for some years) partly toll-funded Western Kentucky and Purchase Parkways, and those aren't exactly high traffic roadways. And going through those mountains wasn't cheap from an engineering/construction standpoint.

But given current construction, and land aquisition costs,as well as probably having to do some interesting things with wetlands, what's the cost to motorists going to be in order to break even on financing, and are enough people going to use the roadway instead of the old free road? And what happens if you have another Bo's Bridge (Garcon Point Bridge near Gulf Breeze) situation where people decide the extra travel time is worth not paying a toll?

 

[Santiago]

It will take 200 years to sell off that swamp.

I don't know how long it will take to "sell it off" but I had an opportunity to do a little hunting on that property a few years ago and I'll bet its the most pristine parcel of undeveloped property in Florida. The lakes are beautiful and mostly surrounded by upland property.

 

[Smiling JOe]

As I understand it, the road would be moved east of the new airport, going directly into Panama City, with the idea of pumping more money, businesses and growth into Bay County, and Panama City.

 

[DuneLaker]

Any concrete left over could be used to finish the Hilton house.

 

[SHELLY]

http://fosterfollynews.com/home/news/story.php?sid=4286

Yah , a new interstate toll road that would create jobs, help with the interstate commerce, support the growth around the New Airport, add tourism to SOWAL and surrounding areas. It just might help many people in this great nation of ours. Sounds like a bad idea if “ floating a bond” is involved. Hmmm, lets do nothing that’s much safer.

None of that addresses potential bond investors' questions like "What is the return on my investment?" "How do I know I can trust the bond rating?" "Who is going to make good on my investment if the bond goes into default?" ...on that last point, the taxpayers of Florida should take an interest in the answer.

Judging from the reports provided about this toll road, they're still a long, long way off from turning the road from fantasy into reality.
.

 

[DuneLaker]

I see the connection. Focus 2000 = THE ROAD and Coastal Vision 3000 = THE BEACH or THE ROAD to THE BEACH