Highway 97 Repaving Work Set To Begin This Week

November 30, 2009

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Work is set to begin this week on a $5 million resurfacing project on Highway 97  from Molino to Alabama that will take about 10 months to complete.

The entire 22.5 mile length of Highway 97 will be repaved from County Road 95 in Molino across Highway 29 to the Alabama state line. No major drainage changes are expected to the route’s 55 cross drains under the highway, with the exception of some possible changes near the intersection of Highway 97 and Crabtree Church Road. There will also be new and replacement guardrails installed along the state highway.

“They will probably start with some isolated drainage work,” according to Tanya Branton, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation. “There should not be any major lane closures in the first few days.”

Once work begins on the actual highway, work crews will restrict traffic to one lane through the work zone. Weather permitting, the project should be completed in September 2010.

“They will maintain accesses to businesses and residences during the process,” she Branton said.

Existing 12 foot wide travel lanes and five foot paved shoulders will be milled and resurfaced. This project does not include the four-laning of Highway 97. A four lane highway is not in any of the state’s current plans for Highway 97.

NorthEscambia.com will work with the Florida Department of Transportation and the contractor to keep you updated on the status of the project.

Pictured above:  Highway 97 (running left to right in the photo) in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

5 Responses to “Highway 97 Repaving Work Set To Begin This Week”

  1. bama54 on November 30th, 2009 6:30 pm

    Who is doing the work? Ten months seems to be a long time for this project. I believe you can get the Baldwin County Rd department in Alabama and they will have it paved in before you can blink your eye. They pave hwy 90 from Florida/Alabama line to Robertsdale just a little over a month (go figure). For the work done on hwy 29 it taken those guys a couple of week when they got started, but getting them started was a big chore. I guess they will do the same thing for hwy 97. Must be getting paid by the hour!!

  2. YELLAR HAMMER on November 30th, 2009 12:21 pm

    To mary n I hope your child dosn’t ride mrs w!!!! bus because she is extra slow and will get them home in time for foxnews time.

  3. ewalum on November 30th, 2009 11:28 am

    Thank God! The quality of the surface of that road has become just terrible…I worry about my tires in some parts!

  4. mspence on November 30th, 2009 6:30 am

    Highway 97 should be four-laned. It would make it much safer for everyone, the school buses, ambulances, and residents. It doesn’t make sense to spend a great deal of money on resurfacing and not four-lane the road.

  5. mary n on November 30th, 2009 3:41 am

    that is just great!! That is the road the school buses take to go o ERNEST WARD MIDDLE..is my son going to get home after dark or what???