Highway upgrades continue

The Santa Rosa County Engineering Department has started safety upgrades on Highway 90.

“Upgrades from Anna Simpson Road eastward to Avalon Boulevard include the construction of new turn lanes, the retrofitting of existing median openings with directional traffic islands, and the installation of drainage improvements throughout the project,” says Public Information Officer Joy Tsubooka.

Work began April 18, and will continue for 8 weeks with signs posted accordingly.

Tsubooka says there will be no lane closures during daylight hours and work will be staged so all median openings will not closed at the same time.

“While this project is within the FDOT right of way, it is designed and administered by the Santa Rosa County Engineering Department,” she says.

The project will make the existing median opening at Anna Simpson Road directional, prohibiting eastbound movement onto Highway 90.

A new directional median opening and left turn lane will be constructed at Morningside Lane, prohibiting westbound movements onto Highway 90. This opening will replace an existing opening just east of Morningside that will be removed.

A new eastbound left turn lane at Van Horn Road will be constructed with the full access median opening remaining.

The existing westbound left turn lane at Red Barn Restaurant will be lengthened and the median opening will become directional, prohibiting westbound movements from this driveway onto Highway 90.

New eastbound and westbound left turn lanes will be constructed at the existing median opening at Galilee Baptist Church. This opening will become directional, prohibiting movements from the church onto Highway 90.

The existing median opening 300 feet west of Avalon Boulevard will be closed. A new concrete separator will be constructed from this point eastward to Avalon.

“All existing median openings will be reconstructed to facilitate drainage, along with the addition of several inlets and piping within the median,” says Tsubooka.

“Both the median closings and turn lane additions are safety improvements recommended by the Transportation Planning Organization’s U.S. 90 Corridor Management Report approved by the Florida Department of Transportation,” she says.