HWY 331 Plan To Bypass Defuniak ?

[Misty]

n what could be a potential boom or bust to businesses and private property owners, the Florida Department of Transportation is conducting a Corridor Analysis of U.S. Hwy. 331 (State Roads 83 and 187) from the Alabama state line to Coy Burgess Loop, a distance of approximately 25 miles.

The study will consider the potential realignment of the highway that could include a route that would by-pass downtown and the entire western portion of the city on U.S. Hwy. 90.

One of the potential routes include an option corridor extending the busy highway directly south of the intersection at Hwy. 90, across the DFS Municipal Airport property and through private property all the way to the Bob Sikes Road (County Road 280) and tying into the highway near the Wal Mart shopping center. According to some, the potential route could have a devastating impact on local businesses that depend on daily traffic.

Taylor Lathinghouse, co-owner of Triangle Buick Chevrolet on Hwy. 331, which sits north of Bob Sikes Road, said such a change would have a negative impact on the business and especially the customers he serves on a daily basis. “I would be opposed to such a detour. This would not be good for so many people, he said.”

DFS City Councilman Mac Carpenter said the rerouting of traffic around the city could have an extremely detrimental impact to our local economy. “They’re (FDOT) looking at mobility and how fast they can get cars down the highway, said Carpenter.” “When the interstate came through in the 70s, it took traffic and dollars away from town and now, those people pass us right on by and will never see what we have to offer.”

Ian Satter, Public Information Director for FDOT District 3, confirmed to WZEP that such a realignment is among several possibilities that the department will consider. Satter said “All options are on the table.” He said safety, traffic and access are all among the considerations and that FDOT would also conduct an in-house environmental impact study as well.

Another option could extend Hwy. 331 N straight through the intersection at Hwy. 90 at Wayside Park to north of Walton Road through the swampy area west of 12th street or, major work to the existing route is is also under a possibility. All three potential corridors would include a four-lane highway with bike paths and sidewalks.

In a letter from FDOT to officials earlier this month, District Environmental Management Engineer J. Brandon Bruner invited officials and their representatives to attend one of two public meetings to discuss the project where handouts will be given to the public on the project and maps will be on display.

The first meeting will be held Tuesday, March 1 at the Paxton Agriculture Center and the second meeting will be Thursday, March 3 at the DeFuniak Springs Community Center. Both meetings begin at 5:30 PM and officials have allotted 1 hour for the presentation, questions and discussion.

Carpenter said it is critically important for folks to show up and be heard. WZEP First News Now will be there to bring you all the details.

Courtesy WZEP

 

[Teresa]

Thanks Misty. Interesting.

 

[Misty]

US 331 N Update - from what I have learned today I believe FDOT has already selected Alternative Route 2 through the only public airport in Walton County and outside the core of the County Seat of Walton County, as their "preferred alternative" route for widening US 331 N. Beyond the extremely negative economic impact to the economy and economic future of DeFuniak Springs, if this alternate route is approved by the state it will once again shift the burden of state government to Walton County when the abandoned existing "arterial" route segments become "collector" segments which, under state statute, become the maintenance responsibility of our County government without compensation to Walton County taxpayers. For all of our south County friends, FDOT is planning to spend your future county tax dollars to help maintain roads that they will abandon if US 331N Alternative #2 is selected to reroute this US Highway around the core of DeFuniak Springs.

 

[CartoonMark]

 

[jcpd2]

US 331 N Update - from what I have learned today I believe FDOT has already selected Alternative Route 2 through the only public airport in Walton County and outside the core of the County Seat of Walton County, as their "preferred alternative" route for widening US 331 N. Beyond the extremely negative economic impact to the economy and economic future of DeFuniak Springs, if this alternate route is approved by the state it will once again shift the burden of state government to Walton County when the abandoned existing "arterial" route segments become "collector" segments which, under state statute, become the maintenance responsibility of our County government without compensation to Walton County taxpayers. For all of our south County friends, FDOT is planning to spend your future county tax dollars to help maintain roads that they will abandon if US 331N Alternative #2 is selected to reroute this US Highway around the core of DeFuniak Springs.

I would be more sympathetic if the local city police department would abandon their speed trap of 35 MPH on the first section of 331.

 

[FoX]

Every town eventually needs a bypass of a major thoroughfare. It's not always easy but ends up working out.

 

[Misty]

I hope never to hear again how the majority of the Walton County tax base is paid by the South when your taxes go up to support a State hwy the State abandoned.

I also realize there is very little sympathy for the businesses in North Walton that will be negatively impacted because you all have your little piece of the promised land in SoWal and don't need to shop up here.

 

[Danny Glidewell]

Neither option proposed makes much sense because both would be very, very expensive. The state needs to improve the existing roadway and then look at alternative routes for tourists to go around DFS so that 331 does not turn into a parking lot every day like Highway 85 in Crestview does now. They have found they need a 2nd alternative for north/south traffic but have built up to the point they have no good options. We need to begin planning for a cost effective alternate route so that does not occur in DFS in the future.

 

[Misty]

Sometimes when you ask for something, you might not like the answer. But the Florida Department of Transportation says nothing is final. The FDOT held a public meeting in the DeFuniak Springs Community Center tonight that showed the results of the U.S. 331 study from just south of I-10 to the Alabama State line.

The room was filled to standing room only. This is the second meeting, with the presentation already given in Paxton. That meeting revealed the possibility of a bypass west of the airport. While most want a wider highway, this possible route around DeFuniak Springs has residents, business owners, and politicians upset.

Some went to Thursday’s meeting believing the project is already set. The presentation stressed that nothing is complete. The audience listened to a brief statement and watched a video of the project proposal.

After more than fifty years of asking, the state finally agreed to make U.S. 331 from Highway 98 to I-10 a four lane road. When the District Three Secretary came to a commissioner meeting to make the announcement that Walton would have to assist with the bridge costs, he also agreed to have the department look at what it would take to widen the road north through Paxton. The FDOT came back with a request for a study. They said everything from simple drainage and access improvements to four lanes and a widened highway would be looked at. The study was to determine the needs. At that point DeFuniak Springs Council member Mac Carpenter started talking about the need to not bypass the city.

The project extends 25 miles from the north end of Coy Burgess Loop through the City of DeFuniak Springs, north through Liberty and Paxton to the Alabama line. The south end and through most of the city the road is four lanes with some sections including a center or other turn lanes. Highway 90 is used for part of the leg through the city. That leg is what some are concerned about as the state is considering a new road straight from the Highway 90 and 331 intersection in the center of town, through the swamp and going north of Walton Road. A second thought is to build a new bypass loop west of town that would take traffic away from the central business area. This is the proposal that has a number of residents upset.

Corridor 1 uses the existing roadway with upgrades. The road could be widened to six lanes near McLain’s Restaurant. This would be an urban road with bike lanes and sidewalks. When the highway takes the left turn onto 90, it would remain four lanes, but be widened to accommodate bike lanes and additional features to help with safety and traffic flow. From U.S. 90 across from the airport to north of Walton Road, the highway would be widened. The remaining north roadway for all proposals would be four lanes with a combination of guttering, sidewalks, bike lanes, and needed drainage features. Corridor 1 might also utilize a roundabout, the circular intersection.

The Corridor 2 proposal utilizes Bob Sikes Road and heads north through the far east end of the DeFuniak Springs Airport. The existing 331 will be re-designated and remain part of the local road network. This proposal takes traffic away from the current route, the dogleg through town, and keeps many travelers from ever seeing a large part of the city and its businesses.

The third proposal, Corridor 3, builds a new road from the T intersection of Highway 90 and 331, going along Wabash Avenue east of 20th Street and cutting through swamp land and some smaller neighborhoods to north of Walton Road. There the traffic will eventually join 331 North. This reroutes the traffic on Highway 90 west, but uses the current road for the section from 90 to south of I-10.

They are not only considering a bypass for DeFuniak Springs, but one proposal takes the highway east and around the Town of Paxton. The proposal would keep traffic out of the center of town, an area with parks, school, houses, and businesses.

Source: InsideWalton.com

 

[Dawn]

From WZEP AM


In the second of two public meetings on the FDOT proposals for the improvements and possible realignment of U.S. Hwy 331 that could include a by-pass around the town, officials were greeted to a standing room only crowd at the DeFuniak Springs Community Center Thursday night.

The hall was set up with displays of plans that included the expansion project in segments from Coy Burgess Loop south of town to the Alabama state line at Paxton and included segments that would affect each particular leg of the route.

Many residents were upset that officials did not allow open questions or public comments at the meeting but, instead, told the crowd to submit their comments in writing and mail them in or place in in a drop box. There was no public discussion. It was an official presentation. After the short video, DOT officials stayed to answer questions privately. Many got an earful.

DeFuniak Springs Mayor Bob Campbell said, "This is exactly what they did up in Paxton. I was expecting for there to be some open forum but there was not. I'm a little disappointed. We just need to hold their feet to the fire," said the Mayor.

One resident, who didn't want to give her name, said she didn't like the format either. "I didn't like it. This impacts me directly. I live directly off 331 so I want to know whats gonna happen to my home."

Officials told the crowd that they should submit their comments in writing and said any final decisions on a plan would be a long way off. Officials said due to the project being federally funded, it was a requirement that all options be considered by DOT.

One option could directly impact longtime DeFuniak landmark Ed's Restaurant (formerly the Tastee-Freeze) and/or neighboring business The Prescription Place. Expansion along Hwy. 90 with sidewalks, lane enhancments, shoulders, bike lanes and a divided median would go right through Pharmacist Shane Abbot's building. Abbot has been in that location for ten years and Ed's Restaurant much longer.

Abbot said FDOT has thought this out and it is very politically driven. "My business could be especially impacted because one of their plans actually runs right through my building so, in essence, their putting me out of business and the Tastee Freeze, a landmark. There's no way for me to back my building up,"

DeFuniak Springs City Councilman Kermit Wright was even more blount. "The city of DeFuniak Springs must have traffic to survive. Do not by-pass our city. You by-pass our city and what's it going to do? It's going to cut our throats."