Gulf Islands National Seashore and Florida Department of Transportation

The National Seashore and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced that reconstruction of Fort Pickens Road is now underway. The construction work began on Monday.  The Federal Highway Administration is funding the road reconstruction and FDOT, who is handling the contract for the work, recently awarded it to Anderson Columbia, Inc. They will have 150 days to complete the project.  Superintendent Eubanks states, “It has been a long time coming, but we are excited to get this project moving again so visitors will have appropriate access to this popular natural, recreational and historic area of the National Seashore.” District Secretary Larry Kelley added that FDOT is proud to play a role in the reconstruction of this major tourist route.  “We look forward to the day when travelers can once again enjoy the scenic tour from Pensacola Beach to Fort Pickens.” 
Portions of Fort Pickens Road were destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in the summer of 2004 and the project was halted before completion as a result of Tropical Storm Arlene, Hurricane Cindy, and Hurricane Dennis in 2005, all of which resulted in damage to the newly completed and in-progress roadwork.  The destroyed segments of the Fort Pickens Road are targeted to be replaced with an at-grade geo-cell (interlocking high-strength permeable cells) filled with sand and capped with a 1-2 inch layer of asphalt.  This approach allows the reconstructed road segments to wash out during future storm events and will restore two-way public access while allowing natural barrier island processes, such as over wash, to proceed unimpeded. It also represents a much less costly investment than other previously identified options when considering vulnerability and the high probability of impact to the roadways from future storms.
Visitors to the Fort Pickens Area need to be aware that during construction, the roadway and construction corridor will be CLOSED to the public.  This corridor will include the paved area westward from the entrance to the park and will be delineated by sand fencing.  Visitors may still walk in north or south of the construction corridor, along the beach, but must stay out of the construction zone.  This is for safety and also to allow the contract to move forward with minimal disruption.
For additional information about Seashore projects and programs contact the Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center at 850-934-2600 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/guis.