North Highway 99 Repaving Set To Be Fast Tracked

October 15, 2018

Escambia County is set to fast track a planned resurfacing of North Highway 99 from Walnut Hill to the Alabama State line.

The project was planned for 2024-25, but the Escambia County Commission will vote Thursday on advancing $1,726,325 available in Local Option Sales Tax to this fiscal year and begin the construction solicitation process.

The 8.2 mile roadway runs from Highway 97, past Highway 4 in Bratt and continues to the state line. It is a major north-south transportation corridor for the area. In addition to the school buses that serve Bratt Elementary on North Highway 99, buses travel the road twice-daily between Northview High and Ernest Ward Middle schools.

The asphalt is in poor condition due to high traffic volume, and heavy truck traffic, according to county officials.

The recommended improvements include repair of road base failures, leveling of existing asphalt, installation of a geogrid over widened joints, paving the entire roadway, and restriping 12-foot travel lanes.

The Escambia County Commission will vote on the proposal Thursday evening.

Pictured top: North Highway 99 in Bratt near Highway 168. Pictured below: A closer look at asphalt conditions. Pictured below: North Highway 99 at Highway 4 and (bottom) Highway 164. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

14 Responses to “North Highway 99 Repaving Set To Be Fast Tracked”

  1. Robert Glick on October 17th, 2018 8:48 pm

    Recently I was rushed to Sacred Heart hospital after a light stroke. I rode the ambulance down 99 from the state line to 97. I wish all the county commissioners could have been on that ride! Talk about getting it done “fast track”.

  2. dnl on October 16th, 2018 10:17 am

    It’s past time for Highway 99 North and South to be paved and widened. It’s a miracle that young drivers going to Northview hasn’t had more accidents on North Highway 99. It’s been horrible for years.

  3. Rational on October 16th, 2018 9:44 am

    FAST, nothing is done fast in that area! It will be interesting to see what ‘fast’ means during the next several years.

  4. Concerned on October 15th, 2018 6:54 pm

    Louis Street in Cantonment needs it done so badly! Between the heavy trucks and school buses along with regular traffic the road has been patched so many times it has become another road

  5. Kevin on October 15th, 2018 4:12 pm

    I guess the folks in the middle section are left out again.. Maybe it will be done in 2050! or is it going to take a school bus in a head on collision with a log or dump truck before its repaired. At least the north end has some shoulders to run on when meeting wide vehicles.. My mom was sideswiped by a county dump truck just below Eichers Dairy Rd some years back, and nothing was done then.

  6. Old Tom on October 15th, 2018 2:21 pm

    This road has needed this for a long time .

  7. Hudson Sr. on October 15th, 2018 12:03 pm

    It’s about time. I helped on the handicapped school buses for a while and rough edges will beat you to death.

  8. Linda on October 15th, 2018 11:59 am

    My vote is for North Pine Barren road to be resurface! It is used by a lot of school buses and kids driving to school. It needs to be fixed!!!!

  9. Bratt Fl resident on October 15th, 2018 11:50 am

    We moved up here in 1995 and even then Hwy.99 needed repaving, that was 23 years ago! So happy to see it finally happening soon, but flabbergasted that it originally wasn’t suppose to happen until 2024-25. Hwy 99 and W.Hwy 4 are 2 of the most traveled roads (other than Hwy 29) in the north end of the county. W.Hwy 4 is even used as a re-route road for all major traffic when 29 is flooded. Semi’s, school buses, cotton trucks, farm equipment and everyday vehicles travel this road daily. Now that school is back in session, do a traffic count, you will see. It surely needs to be re-surfaced as well asap! Thx

  10. Willis on October 15th, 2018 10:52 am

    Good news !!

  11. Me on October 15th, 2018 10:20 am

    How about widening Hwy. 164 from Hwy. 29 to Hwy. 97??????

  12. potholedodger on October 15th, 2018 8:36 am

    Well that’s good new! It’s definitely in need of resurfacing and has been for a long time…the sooner the better. Get goin with it…

  13. FL girl on October 15th, 2018 7:57 am

    I strongly 2nd a vote to repair Hwy 4!!!!

  14. Oversight on October 15th, 2018 6:58 am

    Now how about Hwy 4 from Century to Hwy 97 including new twin bridges?

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News