U.S. 98 improvements coming to Destin

The Florida Department of Transportation has detailed its upcoming improvements to U.S. Highway 98 from the Destin bridge to Airport Road.

Plans are to mill and resurface the roughly three-mile portion of U.S. 98, but other improvements are being planned as well. Four more proposed improvements will also be completed.

The four proposed improvements are:

• An eastbound right turn lane into HarborWalk Village will be created just east of the Destin bridge.

• Reconfigure a full median opening into the McGuire’s Shopping Plaza. Also, the westbound left turn lanes will be removed in front of HarborWalk Village in order to provide neutral offset left turn lanes onto Stahlman Avenue.

• The median opening east of Stahlman Avenue in front of the Experience and Crust Pizzeria will be closed. This will allow additional length for the westbound left turn lane into HarborWalk Village.

• An eastbound left turn lane will be constructed into the Days Inn and Chick-Fil-A shared driveway.

“It’s approximately 2.8 miles in length (where construction will be taking place),” said Tanya Branton, FDOT’s public information specialist. “Striping to provide a four-foot dedicated bike lane will also be added.”

Branton said the existing roadway is a four-lane divided urban typical section consisting of two 12 foot travel lanes in each direction with 5 foot sidewalks on each side. The proposed roadway will consist of two 10-foot traffic lanes in each direction with a 4 foot dedicated bike lane. The side walk along the south side will be widen to 6-feet where sufficient right of way exist.

Branton said construction will began in the fall of 2018 and is expected to be completed by early 2019.

“The estimated construction cost will be $4.1 million,” she said.