For Immediate Release
August 24, 2023
ICYMI: Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Brooks Bridge Replacement Project
Chipley, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Brooks Bridge replacement project in Okaloosa County. The $171 million project includes constructing two new parallel bridges over the Santa Rosa Sound to increase bridge capacity and improve traffic flow for this primary east-west connector between downtown Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island.
Event speakers included FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue.
The new Brooks Bridge will feature six travel lanes (three eastbound and three westbound) versus the current four-lane structure that opened in 1966.
In addition, the new travel lanes will be flanked by inside and outside shoulders for use during emergencies or vehicle breakdowns. Both of the new structures will also be outfitted with 12-foot-wide shared-use paths for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Preliminary construction activities are now underway with project completion estimated for summer 2027.
For more information, follow FDOT District Three on Twitter @myfdot_nwfl or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MyFDOTNWFL.
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The Florida Department of Transportation’s mission is to provide a safe transportation system that ensures the mobility of people and goods, enhances economic prosperity and preserves the quality of the state’s environment and communities. The department is committed to building a transportation system that not only fits the current needs of Florida’s residents and visitors but also enhances mobility throughout the state to accommodate its consistent and rapid growth. The unique nature of the Sunshine State and its year-round warm climate provides numerous opportunities to achieve the department’s mission through multiple transportation modes including highways/streets, air, rail, sea, spaceports, transit, and the ever-expanding deployment of bicycle & pedestrian facilities.