PANAMA CITY BEACH — For at least the next few years, roadway construction will be a common sight for drivers traveling a main highway on the Beach.
According to Ian Satter, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation, construction remains on track for a comprehensive state roadway improvement project to expand U.S. 98 (Panama City Beach Parkway) in Bay County from four to six lanes.
The project includes three segments, two of which are under construction with a projected completion date of late 2027.
“It’s a very important project for Bay County and the community,” Satter said. “It was a high priority for the Bay County Transportation Planning Organization. The (county) has seen significant growth through that area, so our mission, obviously, is to improve safety along that corridor.
“If we can reduce congestion, that will improve safety.”
He noted that Segment 1, which will cost about $50 million, stretches from Mandy Lane to Nautilus Street. Its construction began in September 2023. Segment 2, which will cost about $60 million, stretches from Nautilus Street to Richard Jackson Boulevard. Its construction began in October 2023.
Segment 3 is projected to cost about $75 million, and it will stretch from Richard Jackson Boulevard to the Hathaway Bridge. Its construction is tentatively scheduled to begin sometime in 2026. Like the other two segments, it’s expected to take about four years to complete.
FDOT officials have said the project was split into segments to help with planning and securing state funding.
“The project is moving along very well, and we’re hoping to stay on track,” Satter said. “We do know that when we have a finished, widened, used 98 out there, it will relieve some of the issues people are seeing, as far as congestion.”
He also said that during construction, crews are most active from about 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. It is during these times that drivers might experience temporary lane closures to give crews more space to work. As of Wednesday, such lane closures were only happening in Segment 1, but Satter said that will change as the project progresses.
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Despite any traffic shifts, however, at least one lane in each direction of the road will always remain open.
“That’s just part and parcel for a large-scale widening project,” Satter said. “You will have lane restrictions, and we do program those in the overnight hours, when we have the least amount of impacts to traffic. In order to continue progress and continue to work, we have to have lane restrictions so those crews can get in there and do what they need to do.
“Through the course of the project, through the next several years, different areas of the construction zone will have lane restrictions during overnight hours … People can expect to see overnight lane restrictions throughout the life of the project.”
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Construction on track for U.S. 98 expansion in Panama City Beach area