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Widened Highway 113 Opens Joint Alabama And Florida Project

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and a host of dignitaries from both Alabama and Florida dedicated a widened Highway 113 Wednesday, hailing the highway as both an hurricane evacuation route and as a economic shot in the arm.

“This is a great day not only for Florida, this is a great day for Alabama,” Riley said. “It’s going to give us options that did not exist just a few years ago.”

The $22.7 million project, which included funds from the state of Alabama, Flomaton and both Escambia County, Alabama, and Escambia County, Florida, provides  13.5 miles of four-lane divided highway from Highway 29/31 in Flomaton to Exit 69 on I-65.

“We found out after Ivan what it was like to have a four lane coming out of the coast of Florida and coming into Flomaton into a two lane,” Riley said. “We backed up traffic for miles. And that’s when we really did realize we’ve got to do something to get people on up to 65. One of these days, we are going look back and we are going to say that building this road saved hundreds  if not thousands of lives because we were able to evacuate people from the Gulf Coast where otherwise it might not ever have happened.”

Riley had nothing but praise for Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant. Bondurant was instrumental in pushing the plan through state government and obtaining funding.

“I’ve never met anyone any better than Dewey,” Riley said. “He came in and not only put together a plan that would work, then…he went out and secured the funds that made this a reality. This would not have happened without the mayor. The mayor’s leadership on this was just exemplary.”

Escambia County, Florida, kicked in $4 million in funds toward the widening, providing a example of how different jurisdictions would work together for a common good.

“This is probably the best example of governments working together that I have seen since I have been in the governor’s office,” Riley said.

Florida will reap benefits from the expanded Alabama roadway, several of the dignitaries at Wednesday’s ribbon cutting said. In addition to the hurricane evacuation route, there are expected economic benefits to Century and the rest of Escambia County, Florida.

“When you have access to a four lane, when you have that type of infrastructure, people begin to look at your community than they would if it were just a two lane road. You are going to look back and see little businesses open all along 113,” Riley said.

“For economic development, it opens it wide open for the town of Century now,” White said. “It’s your major north-south coming into Escambia County (FL) now, so it’s a wonderful thing.”

The 14 mile widening project broke ground on September 11, 2007. Escambia County, Florida, contributed $4 million to the project. Flomaton and Escambia County, Alabama, each contributed $500,000 with the state of Alabama and the federal government picking up of the rest of the nearly $22.7 million tab.

The highway also includes a new four-span, 204 foot bridge to accommodate  northbound traffic.

Wednesday’s ribbon cutting was actually over 40 years in the making. Florida and Alabama agreed  back in 1967 to four-lane roads on both side of the state line for an evacuation route. Florida finished their part along Highway 29 by 1990, but Alabama did nothing more after acquiring right-of-way back in the 1970’s.

For a complete photo gallery from the Highway 113 ribbon cutting, click here.

Pictured above: Dignitaries including Alabama Governor Bob Riley cut the ribbon on the newly widened Highway 113 in Flomaton Wednesday. Pictured below: Gov. Riley thanks Escambia County Commissioner Kevin White for Florida’s help on the project. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.