FDOT July 19, 2019 Escambia County Traffic Alert

Contact: Tanya Branton, (850) 330-1599, Tanya.branton@dot.state.fl.us

Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities. 

Escambia County:

• U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) – Nine Mile Road will be closed at U.S. 29 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, July 14 through Thursday, July 18 as crews drive piles for the new southbound bridge deck. Traffic control officers will be on-site to help direct motorists. The following detour will be in place:
• Eastbound Nine Mile Road will be reduced to one lane, directed to U.S. 29 southbound, U-turn at West Hood Drive, and return to Nine Mile Road.
• Westbound traffic will perform the same operation at West 9 1/2 Mile Road.
• U.S. 29 traffic between Interstate 10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road may experience alternating lane closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations.
• Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening from Pine Forest Road to U.S. 29 – Drivers will experience the following impacts to traffic Sunday, July 14 through Monday, July 22:
• Pine Forest/Nine Mile Road Intersection: Alternating lane closures from 8 p.m. Friday, July 19 to 6 a.m. Monday, July 22 as crews reconstruct the intersection. Traffic control officers will be on-site to help direct traffic.
• Cove Avenue at Nine Mile Road: Cove Avenue north of 9 Mile Road will be closed from 7 a.m. Tuesday, July 16 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 20 to continue drainage improvements. Traffic will be detoured to West 9 and a Half Mile Road and Fowler Avenue. Detour signs and variable message boards are in place to alert drivers of the temporary road closure and detour routes.

• U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement Bridge- Bridge construction may require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, July 21 through Sunday, July 28: 

• Intermittent lane closures on U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to 2,000-feet east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze. 
• Intermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
• U.S. 98 eastbound traffic (Pensacola to Gulf Breeze) will be shifted to the new Pensacola Bay Bridge Sunday evening, July 28 and U.S. 98 westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) Thursday, Aug. 1. The temporary configuration for the new bridge will provide two lanes of east and two lanes of westbound traffic, along with a center-lane reserved for emergency vehicles. A multiuse path for pedestrians and bicyclists is expected to be operational approximately two-months after the traffic shift.
• From 8 p.m. Sunday, July 28 to 6 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, 17th Avenue will be closed to through traffic between Gregory Street and the CSX Railroad overpass. Drivers will be detoured using Ninth Avenue and Cervantes Street (U.S. 90). Access to the visitor’s center, boat ramp, and the Pensacola Bay Fishing Pier will be maintained for local traffic via 17th Avenue.

• U.S. 29 Resurfacing from south of County Road (C.R.) 184 (Muscogee Road) to State Road (S.R.) 97 (Atmore Highway)- Post mounted delineators have been erected between the Thrift Store and Cross Roads Dollar General to prevent cut-through traffic from Molino Road. Workers are clearing trees and shrubs and excavating for roadway widening at the Molino Road intersection. Drivers may encounter intermittent lane restrictions as crews and heavy equipment enter and exit the roadway. 
• S.R.  727 (Fairfield Drive) from South of Usher Circle to North of Hestia Place- Traffic on Fairfield Drive from south of Usher Circle to north of Hestia Place remains shifted to the west as crews complete the installation of the box culvert under the roadway. The north entrance to Usher Circle is also temporarily closed to traffic during the drainage operation. Residents will utilize the south entrance of Usher Circle.
• Cervantes Street (S.R.10A) Underground Utility Operations at Covington Place-   The westbound inside lane will be closed near Covington Place from 8 p.m. Monday, July 22 to
  5 a.m. Tuesday, July 23 as crews perform underground utility work. 
• Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening from Pine Forest Road to U.S. 29 – Drivers will experience alternating lane closures at the intersection of Nine Mile Road and Pine Forest Road from 8 p.m. Friday, July 26 to 6 a.m. Monday, July 29 as crews reconstruct the intersection to match the newly-constructed eastbound lanes. Traffic control officers will be on-site to help direct traffic.
• C.R. 168 Bridge Replacement over Unnamed Branch in Northwest Century-  Traffic was recently shifted to the temporary acrow bridge.   Activities associated with the bridge replacement project continue and are anticipated to be complete late 2019. 
• Bratt Road Bridge Replacement over Canoe Creek - Bratt Road continues to be closed near Canoe Creek. Drivers on Bratt Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to Pine Barren Road and C.R. 4.  Drivers east of the bridge will be detoured east on Bratt Road.  The project is anticipated to be complete summer 2019. 
• Hanks Road Bridge Replacement over Breastworks Creek - Construction activities continue. The roadway will be temporarily closed during construction. Drivers on Hanks Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to C.R. 99 and C.R. 4.  Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road.  The project is anticipated to be complete late 2019.

Santa Rosa County:

• U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement Bridge- Bridge construction will require the following lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, July 12 through Sunday, July 28:
• Intermittent lane closures on U.S. 98 east and westbound, from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to 2,000-feet east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze. 
• Intermittent lane closures on North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
• U.S. 98 eastbound traffic (Pensacola to Gulf Breeze) will be shifted to the new Pensacola Bay Bridge Sunday evening, July 28 and U.S. 98 westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) Thursday, Aug. 1. The temporary configuration for the new bridge will provide two lanes of east and two lanes of westbound traffic, along with a center-lane reserved for emergency vehicles. A multiuse path for pedestrians and bicyclists is expected to be operational approximately two-months after the traffic shift.
• From 8 p.m. Sunday, July 28 to 6 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, 17th Avenue will be closed to through traffic between Gregory Street and the CSX Railroad overpass. Drivers will be detoured using Ninth Avenue and Cervantes Street (U.S. 90). Access to the visitor’s center, boat ramp, and the Pensacola Bay Fishing Pier will be maintained for local traffic via 17th Avenue.
• I-10 Widening from the Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – The following construction related traffic impacts are planned for Interstate 10 and Avalon Boulevard from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, July 21 through Thursday, July 25: 

• Alternating lane closures, Sunday through Thursday, on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange as crews perform construction activities.
• Alternating lane closures on I-10 from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of Avalon Boulevard (Exit 22), Sunday through Thursday, as crews work to place final striping and to finish work list items.

• I-10 Routine Bridge Inspection over Garcon Point Road- East and westbound traffic will encounter intermittent lane closures from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sunday, July 21 through Thursday, July 26 as crews perform a routine inspection on the bridges.
• S.R. 87 Pavement Markings Replacement- Traffic will encounter alternating and intermittent minor delays at the following locations from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Friday until Thursday, July 30 as crews remove and replace pavement markings in the roadway. Law enforcement will be on site to direct traffic:
• U.S. 90 to Nicholas Lake Road
• U.S. 98 to Vonnie Tolbert Road

• S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to Hickory Hammock Road– All north and southbound travel lanes on State Road (S.R.) 87, between C.R. 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) and two miles south of the Yellow River are now open and the speed limit is now 65 mph. Drivers will encounter intermittent lane closures as crews complete construction activities and the speed limit is reduced to 45 mph through the active work zones. 

All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway. 

For more information visit the Florida Department of Transportation District Three on the web at www.nwflroads.com, follow us on Twitter @myfdot_nwfl, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MyFDOTNWFL.