By Lori Leath Smith
Imagine being able to drive over the Brooks Bridge on a wider, more easily maneuverable space or walk along the side of it without fear; or ride your bike safely along Okaloosa Island taking in the magnificent view and fresh air; or enjoy an outdoor concert in downtown FWB where you’re mingling with friends and connecting with others in a beautiful, open gathering area with simple access to the beach or water.
Soon, we won’t have to just imagine the possibilities! Exciting projects are underway that include the Brooks Bridge, downtown Fort Walton Beach, the Mound, Landing Park and Santa Rosa Boulevard.
Our current Brooks Bridge was built in 1965, when roughly 1,500 cars traversed it daily, according to a new development video on ilovefwb.com. Today, there can be 50,000 vehicles crossing the bridge daily. According to Ted Corcoran, Fort Walton Beach Chamber president, back in the 70s, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) told Fort Walton it needed to start planning for a new one, because the existing bridge was constructed with a 50-year lifespan only.
According to Dick Rynearson, Fort Walton Beach mayor, in the video, “it all [planning] really started to come together about five years ago.” This, finally, after a barge going underneath the bridge with a big ladder on top hit the bridge in 2013, inciting more urgency in getting things going. In 2015, FDOT started the process and “I’m proud to say, 10 years after the barge hit the bridge, in 2023, we start getting a new bridge,” said Ted in the video.
The new bridge will be built adjacent to the existing bridge with supports to improve channel navigation and safety, but will replace the four-lane bridge that opened in 1966 with a new six-lane structure across Santa Rosa . There will be 3 11-ft. driving lanes, 2 10-ft.-wide shoulders and a 12-ft. shared bicycle and pedestrian path in each direction with completion of the project currently estimated for mid-2028. “Right now, nobody has the nerve to walk over the bridge, because it has about a two-ft. sidewalk,” said Ted, in the video. “Imagine a 12-foot sidewalk on the side of the bridge allowing every guest on Okaloosa Island to take a bike or a golf cart to the base of the Brooks Bridge and actually walk over the bridge into downtown.”
Preliminary construction activities have begun which include relocating utilities on and around Brooks Street, U.S. 98 and the south side of Publix at the Shoppes at Paradise Point shopping center. In the coming weeks, crews plan to realign Brooks Street, from Perry Ave. to the Brooks Bridge, to provide space to construct the new westbound structure.
Other activities, beginning beneath the west side, include drainage improvements, relocating above and underground utilities, installing erosion control devices, lane shifts and finalizing needed permits. Drivers are reminded to use caution through any traffic shifts and construction when traveling through the area.
Additional area projects underway include a dedicated bike path from the Brooks Bridge to the Destin Bridge, the Around the Mound Project, Landing Park renovations and the Santa Rosa Blvd. construction project. “We’ve heard from the public, they want bike accessibility,” said Carolyn Ketchel, Okaloosa County District 2 Commissioner, in the video. “So, we’re making that happen.” The dedicated bike and walking path from bridge to bridge will span along Okaloosa Island. “There’s going to be a 12-foot wide path where you can walk a baby carriage, jog, bike, whatever you want to do. It will be completely safe,” she said.
The Around the Mound Project will incorporate green space with a mixed-use, Park Plaza area anchored by commercial development — dining, entertainment — on Miracle Strip Pkwy. at Fort Walton Beach Landing. With a pedestrian focus, it seemingly, will become a hub for community connection and interaction. The Landing will accommodate larger events and festivals in the future and greater access to the beach and water.
“When it’s complete, downtown will become a destination, rather than a pass-through with just cars driving to get from Pensacola to Destin as quick as they can,” said Mayor Rynearson in the video.
“So, I’m hoping the entire area of Fort Walton becomes a less congested traffic area and a more open area…” said Commissioner Ketchel. “We have so much to offer in this area and we’re just beginning to grow in the way that I’d like to see them go forward.”
To keep up with Fort Walton Beach development, visit the website at Ilovefwb.com.
