This is from the WZEP email news:
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Economic Stimulus Could Mean New Bridge
Is a sister bridge to the Clyde B. Wells Bridge closer than you think. As the economic stimulus package approval is starting to develop, Walton County could see money for the shovel ready $336 million bridge.
Shovel ready is a term meaning a project is ready to begin the design and build. When District 3 Secretary Kelly last visited with the commissioners, he said the second bay bridge is a project they could let out in a matter of days to a company who would design and build the second two lanes. Kelly said the bridge would be a shore to shore bridge after the FDOT looked at using the existing causeway and decided it would take more to shore it up than it would to build without using it.
The second bridge is needed for current traffic and to help empty out the south end of the county in an emergency situation. U.S. 331 is the only north south road out of south Walton. The FDOT currently has the portion south of the bridge under construction as a four lane project. The four lanes would simply empty into the existing two lanes of the bridge, creating bottlenecks. Walton has been seeking a widened U.S. 331 for around 30 years and only now is seeing some sections getting the updates. Walton County is also working with the state on a public private partnership to add additional lanes to the section north of Owls Head to Edgewood Circle in Woodlawn.
According to an article in the Pensacola News Journal, Secretary Kelley said at an FDOT teleconference Friday morning that he expects about $100 million in stimulus funding for District 3 counties. How that would be broken up is still being discussed. FDOT spokesman Tommie Speights says this is all preliminary, and once the numbers are out, then they can say how much each county will get.
While the stimulus package has proponents and opponents, many do agree by putting the money into construction jobs, especially updating the countrys aging infrastructure, the economy will see a greater return than when money was sent directly to the taxpayers.
The state of Florida is also looking at how to help the local economy and has plans to move up some projects. These include projects like resurfacing Highway 90, something in the plans, but potentially advanced by the state."