Chambers oppose Pensacola bridge toll

Representatives from Santa Rosa and Escambia County chambers of commerce are brainstorming ways to prevent a toll on the Pensacola Bay Bridge when it has to be replaced in 2017.

Members of the Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Bay and Pensacola Beach chambers, the city of Gulf Breeze and the Santa Rosa Island Authority met Feb. 16 in Gulf Breeze to discuss the possibility of a toll being implemented to pay for the “local share” portion of the $540 million project. While federal money and state money from the Florida Department of Transportation will pay a portion, the local share is estimated at $100 million.

Cathy Burleigh, Chairman of the Gulf Breeze Chamber board, first pointed out that Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s administration was requiring all new transportation projects to explore tolling as a possibility to pay for the construction.

FDOT is still in the Project Development & Environment Study phase of the project and the Transportation Planning Organization is still completing a toll feasibility study. Burleigh said the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners postponed signing a resolution opposing a toll until the TPO comes back with the results of its study within 30-60 days. 

For more on this story, see the Feb. 23 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.