Bridge Studies

This page contains informaton about the Brooks Bridge Replacement Study and Santa Rosa Sound Alternate Crossing Study.  These studies are being conducted by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 3.

The FDOT website is:

www.nwflroads.com

This website has all of the information about both studies.

FDOT has scheduled a public hearing about the Brooks Bridge Replacement Project.  The hearing is Thursday October 4th at the Emerald Coast Convention Center from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.  More information can be found by downloading the file below:

Did you miss the FDOT Public Kickoff Meeting on April 23, 2015?  Go to the FDOT District 3 website, (link shown above),  to see the information about the two studies. There are documents, schedules, the kick-off meeting, and much more.    Click on the Study and then click on the Kick-Off Online Meeting and view the slide show from the meeting. 

You can look at the four page handout that was distributed at the Kick-Off meeting by clicking on the link below.
 

There are also two FDOT Facebook pages that you can follow to keep up to date on the progress of the two studies.  Click on the links below to go to the Facebook page.

Brooks Bridge Replacement Study Facebook Page

Santa Rosa Sound Alternate Crossing Study Facebook Page

The Brooks Bridge Replacement Study Alternatives Public Workshop was held on May 17, 2016 at the Convention Center. The designs and diagrams were amazing.

If you missed it, you can go to

 brooksbridgereplacement.com

and see the whole presentation. There are alternatives and FDOT wants to get YOUR opinion. The website has all of the alternatives and you can easily select your choice and submit them online to FDOT. Everyone should take a little time to look at this and submit your choices by May 31th. 

At FDOT's June 7, 2016 Brooks Bridge Replacement Stakeholder Advisory Group meeting, the results of public input from the May 17, 2016 Brooks Bridge Alternatives Public Workshop were shared. By a margin of about 3:1, preferred votes were:

1. Alternative A – 12 foot wide shared path on both sides of bridge for pedestrians and bicycles.

2. The Left Alternative, bridge shifts to the north side, will be used. The Left Alternative is a logical choice in light of new information. Remnants of the old wooden swing style Brooks Bridge are in the water path of the Right Alternative, but not the Left. Sonar revealed other possible underwater impediments for the Right Alternative. Construction and maintenance are easier and less expensive with the Left Alternative. The Brooks Street Landing building will remain with the Left Alternative. The change has no impact on access to Publix.

3.  Alternative C – Santa Rosa Boulevard intersection that eliminates the signal on Highway 98, places a new signal on Santa Rosa Blvd, connector road on north and south side of Highway 98 provides access to Santa Rosa Blvd.

The popular entrance and exit into the Publix shopping center off US 98 will almost certainly be eliminated. A bridge exit slope would be too steep for this access. FDOT is investigating several access improvements to mitigate the resultant increased congestion at the Perry Avenue shopping center entrance. These include lengthening a dedicated right turn lane from Perry Avenue into Publix, a new dedicated right turn lane and entry lane for traffic going east from Brooks Street onto the Brooks Bridge, and improved access near Props Brewery & Grill near Brooks Street.