Florida Rep. Brad Drake was joined by Walton County officials for the groundbreaking of a U.S. Hwy. 331 expansion project. The groundbreaking ceremony drew a crowd, including Walton County commissioners, Freeport Mayor Mickey Marse, and Tourist Development Council employees, to Freeport’s Owl’s Head Welcome Center Tuesday. The group gathered to celebrate the upcoming $8.6-million four-lane expansion project. The expansion will span 1.6 miles, beginning at the Owl’s Head Farm and ending .85 miles north of Bill Brown Road. The project is a collaboratively funded effort between the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Legislature, and the Walton County Commission. But despite all of the organizations involved, the project would not be possible without the help of M.C. Davis, a local conservationist who donated the right-of-way that will hold the two new lanes and drainage ditches. “Because of this donation, we are able to do this project,” said Greg Kisela, Walton County administrator. [B]But Davis’s donation came with a small stipulation. Davis is founder and funder of the Nokuse Plantation, a 48,000-acre conservation initiative in Northwest Florida, which is a haven for black bears. So, as a contingency of the project, the contractor must construct a migratory crossing area as part of the expansion. The pass, to be used predominately for black bears to migrate from the plantation to the Eglin Air Force Base reservation, will be made up of two box culverts for an underpass and a 30-foot bridge[/B], according to Cliff Knauer, vice president of Preble-Rish Consulting Engineers in Freeport. “Walton County has been very supportive of the Biophilia Center and the Plantation. I was pleased to make the road safer for people and also for wildlife,” said Davis, who was not present at the ceremony but spoke to The Sun later. The bridge and underpass is but a small price to pay to get the machines rolling for the much-needed project. With the exponential growth in Walton County’s tourism sector, the four-lane project couldn’t have come at a better time, as growth in the number of visitors means growth in the number of cars traveling 331. Walton County Tourist Development Council Director Dawn Moliterno said, “Highway 331 continues to be one thing that is a critical component of our economic engine and the quality of life we have.” Like the others in attendance, Rep. Drake was excited to see the project come to fruition, and thanked all present for their trust and confidence in him to “sustain worthwhile infrastructure in Northwest Florida.” Though the Florida House has not been immune to “tough times in balancing the budget,” this investment is a worthwhile one. According to Rep. Drake, who is the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, the return on investment for transportation infrastructure is 7:1. Maintenance of traffic signs, the first indications of the highway construction, will appear this coming week. According to Chris Riley of C.W. Roberts Contracting, the heavy work is set to begin sometime after Thanksgiving, with completion slated for early 2013. The plan is to eventually four-lane 331 from Interstate-10, and beyond, to U. S. Hwy. 98 in southern Walton County. This 25-mile stretch of road is a part of the commission’s 15-year plan. “The plan is to four-lane from hill to hill, and we’re not going to stop until it’s finished. Let’s get this road built,” said Rep. Drake. “I hope this is the first of many events we’ll be hosting,” said Tommy Barfield, Florida Department of Transportation District 3 secretary. “Look at what we can all do together.” [url]http://www.waltonsun.com/news/county-7835-expansion-walton.html[/url]
