Scenic 30A Re-opened Between Hwy 393 and Hwy 83 @ Draper Lake

[Matt J]

If the county would just keep some of our tax dollars south of the busy and maintain the bridges and culverts, we wouldn't have theses issues.

While I want to agree with the mantra that is akin to "bless you" in the south end, the fact is that maintenance probably wouldn't have solved this issue. The culverts just are going to handle the rain we had and once plugged it's all over anyway.

All of the culverts need to be replaced with bridges. The original coastal dune lake system extended well into Bay county as well, but Front Beach Road destroyed it. This is Google maps by 79:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2226362,-85.8880121,16z

You can't honestly tell me that coastal dune lakes just happened to fall into the convenient borders of Walton County.

All of that said the replacements will take time, but so do most road projects. I'm a little bitter about the Oyster lake project taking so long, but that doesn't mean that the other lakes need the same thing. Many long time locals should also remember when the Eastern Lake bridge was replaced, but at the time there were very few residents affected and an absence of media and online complaining made the project pass with little to no issue. Once a bridge is installed and traffic begins flowing the inconvenience is quickly forgotten.

 

[Matt J]

For the record I also hold the belief that Choctawhatchee Bay is just a very large version of the coastal dune lake system and that's why Destin and Okaloosa county have spent decades dredging the Destin pass. Even the lagoon is probably just an ancient outfall.

 

[Lake View Too]

Yes, for my wish list (which doesn't include a Trader Joe's and a Costco, by the way), I would love to see all causeway/culvert situations replaced with bridges, but, especially in light of the dismal performance in the Dune Allen project, I just don't think our county is up to the challenge. From the one photo I've seen of the Draper Lake scene, I don't have any confidence that these situations will be resolved with beauty and grace in a timely fashion. When, and if, the Dune Allen project is finished, and we all can say "wow, this is really nice", then there might be a speck of hope. The Dune Allen project is going into it's seventh month...

 

[m1a1mg]

On a side note, this diversion has shown the need for a traffic light at the intersection of 83 and 98.

I live off 83 and travel through that intersection a few times a day. It amazes me the number of drivers who want the road completely clear before they will go.

 

[Zebraspots]

It amazes me the number of drivers who think pulling out into traffic and causing others to slam on their brakes is okay.

 

[Matt J]

You're both right, they need a stop light.

 

[UofL]

we are heading down in mid June and selfishly hope the road is open. We do try to leave our van parked and walk or ride our bikes. We'll just be inconvenienced once I guess. Ellen

 

[unclecarl]

Another stop light on 98! So we're going to create a permanent problem in an effort to address what we all know to be a temporary one while the county fumbles around with the bridges? I understand that those who now need to use 83 to get out of the Blue Mountain area want safe access to 98. That's a given. But do we really need to reduce the average travel speed on our major east west artery even further? Has any thought been given to another east west road that might tie one or more of the beach communities together, located north of 30A and south of 98? That might reduce the traffic flow on 30A and give locals a safe way to access 98 via a current road with a light.

 

[Matt J]

There are some already, but I don't want to get my car dirty.

 

[m1a1mg]

unclecarl as someone who lives in BMB year round, I'd like a stop light there permanently. In my opinion, it's more important than having one for the Publix.

395 has a light, 393 has a light, and 283 has a light. Why not 83?