FDOT to begin $16 million project next month to build Gulf Coast Parkway in Callaway

CALLAWAY — A project of more than $16 million to improve transportation in Bay County is around the corner.

According to Ian Satter, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation, construction is slated to begin next month on State Road 370, or Gulf Coast Parkway, which will connect North Tyndall Parkway and North Star Avenue.

It will span 1.7 miles and feature two lanes, traffic signals at both intersections, a 10-foot multi-use path and a connection to Tram Road.

"What this allows us to do is alleviate a lot of the traffic that is occurring on (U.S.) 98 and State 22 in Callaway," Satter said. "We'll be able to reduce the traffic flow in that area, and that will be a safer intersection for those people who travel through there."

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He also said the project is one part of a larger FDOT study from a few years ago to potentially build a regional connector road — also called Gulf Coast Parkway — that would span about 36 miles and connect U.S. 98 with portions of U.S. 231.

As of Wednesday, however, the 1.7-mile segment was the only portion of the regional Gulf Coast Parkway designed, funded for construction or in the FDOT's future plans.

Satter, who said the upcoming project will be entirely funded by the FDOT, expected for it to take about three years to complete. He also said officials might consider adding more segments of Gulf Coast Parkway in the future depending on demand.

'We all know that we have a traffic problem in Bay County'

Robert Carroll, chairman of the Bay County Commission, said he believes projects like this, along with the working partnership between the FDOT and Bay County, are crucial for the area's future.

Carroll also said he was glad that in addition to improving traffic and adding convenience for residents who live in the areas, Gulf Coast Parkway will feature multi-use paths for pedestrians.

"We're grateful FDOT keeps spending money in Bay County and improving our traffic situation," he said. "We all know that we have a traffic problem in Bay County, and ... we're excited to see (this project).

"There are projects where FDOT is the lead. There are projects where (Bay County is) the lead. There's some that we do together. But, whether its us taking the lead or them taking the lead, it's dollars being spent in Bay County, which is crucial."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Gulf Coast Parkway construction to start in November in Bay County