Choctawhatchee Mid-Bay Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Mid-Bay Bridge or Choctawhatchee Mid-Bay Bridge is a 141-span, 3.6 miles (5.8 km), two-lane toll bridge in Okaloosa County
in the Florida Panhandle
. It connects U.S. Highway 98 in Destin
to State Road 20
in Niceville
. The bridge generally runs north–south; the approaches to the bridge carry the State Road 293
designation while the bridge itself carries the TOLL 293 shield.
The bridge crosses Choctawhatchee Bay
, part of the Intracoastal Waterway
. It was constructed in 1992-93, when the Florida Department of Transportation
recognized the growing need for a more direct route between the Destin beaches and the mainland for tourists
and to assist hurricane evacuation from population centers and resorts on the Gulf of Mexico
.
There is one toll plaza at the north end of the bridge. As of June 1, 2010, the one way toll for a standard 2-axle vehicle was $3.00. Tolls may be paid with cash or with the SunPass
electronic toll system.
in Seminole. This section opened to traffic on May 12, 2011. The current termination of the connector is at Range Road in Niceville. Construction is continuing on the remainder of the connector from Range Road north. Currently there is no additional toll for the Mid-Bay Bridge Connector.
The remaining phases of the connector project will extend the highway as a four lane divided highway with Open-Road Tolling (ORT) from State Road 20 to a grade separated interchange at Range Road, then as a two lane road north of Range Road with provisions for eventual expansion to a four lane divided highway. The plans include an intersection at Forest Road, and grade separated interchanges at State Road 285, and State Road 85.
Okaloosa County, Florida
Okaloosa County is a county located in the state of Florida. Located in northwest Florida, it extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. As of the 2000 census, the population was 170,498. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 182,172. The 2009 estimate for the...
in the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
. It connects U.S. Highway 98 in Destin
Destin, Florida
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
to State Road 20
State Road 20 (Florida)
State Road 20 is an east–west route across northern Florida and the Florida Panhandle.-Route description:The western terminus of State Road 20 is at State Road 85 in Niceville. The route proceeds east through Blountstown, crossing the Apalachicola River on the Trammell Bridge, then proceeding...
in Niceville
Niceville, Florida
Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States, located close to Eglin Air Force Base. It originally began with the name Valparaiso, then to separate itself from the neighboring town took the unofficial name of Boggy. Upon incorporation as an official city, the name was changed to...
. The bridge generally runs north–south; the approaches to the bridge carry the State Road 293
Florida State Road 293
Florida State Road 293 is a 6.6 mile long road that extends from U.S. Route 98 in Destin, north across the Mid-Bay Bridge, a toll bridge, to State Road 20 in Niceville.-Route description:...
designation while the bridge itself carries the TOLL 293 shield.
The bridge crosses Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay
Choctawhatchee Bay is a bay in the Emerald Coast region of the Florida Panhandle. The bay, located within Okaloosa and Walton counties, has a surface area of 129 mi2...
, part of the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
. It was constructed in 1992-93, when the Florida Department of Transportation
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of the Florida State Road Department...
recognized the growing need for a more direct route between the Destin beaches and the mainland for tourists
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and to assist hurricane evacuation from population centers and resorts on the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
There is one toll plaza at the north end of the bridge. As of June 1, 2010, the one way toll for a standard 2-axle vehicle was $3.00. Tolls may be paid with cash or with the SunPass
SunPass
SunPass is an electronic toll collection system in use by the State of Florida and was originally created by the Florida Department of Transportation's Florida's Turnpike...
electronic toll system.
Mid-Bay Bridge Connector Project
The Mid-Bay Bridge Connector is an extension of State Road 293 currently under construction north of the bridge span. The first phase of this project changed the alignment of State Road 293 from White Point Road to a newly constructed divided highway to the east. This highway provides a new grade separated interchange at Lakeshore Drive, providing access to the bridge's administration building and the Maxwell-Gunter Military Recreation Area (Mid-Bay Shores). The first phase of the project opened with a grade separated interchange with State Road 20State Road 20 (Florida)
State Road 20 is an east–west route across northern Florida and the Florida Panhandle.-Route description:The western terminus of State Road 20 is at State Road 85 in Niceville. The route proceeds east through Blountstown, crossing the Apalachicola River on the Trammell Bridge, then proceeding...
in Seminole. This section opened to traffic on May 12, 2011. The current termination of the connector is at Range Road in Niceville. Construction is continuing on the remainder of the connector from Range Road north. Currently there is no additional toll for the Mid-Bay Bridge Connector.
The remaining phases of the connector project will extend the highway as a four lane divided highway with Open-Road Tolling (ORT) from State Road 20 to a grade separated interchange at Range Road, then as a two lane road north of Range Road with provisions for eventual expansion to a four lane divided highway. The plans include an intersection at Forest Road, and grade separated interchanges at State Road 285, and State Road 85.