Bikes lanes on U.S.98 to widen

Cycling enthusiast may soon travel more safely along U.S. Highway 98.

Santa Rosa County commissioners approved funding the widening of bike lanes along portions of U.S. 98 during their June 9 meeting in Milton.

The portions to be widened are both northbound and southbound from Edgewood Drive to the Navarre Beach Bridge, and from the eastern boundary of Naval Live Oaks to Soundside Drive in Gulf Breeze.

“When we met with DOT several months ago, initially the estimate to put the 8-foot shoulder on the entire segment from the Naval Live Oaks to the Okaloosa County line was $3.5 million,” said Lane Lynchard, commission chairman. “And we’ve pared that down to the most populated and congested areas of U.S. 98, which brought the cost down.”

The estimated total contribution from the county to double the existing shoulder on those sections to 8-feet is $887,717.44.

The expansion will take place concurrently by the Florida Department of Transportation’s resurfacing of U.S. Highway 98 from the Pensacola Bay Bridge to the Okaloosa County Line.

The county approved entering into a Locally Funded Agreement with the FDOT to complete the bike lanes.