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Aerial photos show height difference between old and new Brooks Bridge in Fort Walton Beach

New bridge will stand 65 feet above Santa Rosa Sound, providing increased clearance for vessels passing beneath.

Jared Williams

The new Brooks Bridge will stand 65 feet above the Santa Rosa Sound, 15 feet taller than the existing bridge.

A recent aerial photo shows the difference in height between the old bridge and roadway and the new westbound structure currently under construction on Okaloosa Island.

The increased height will provide greater clearance for vessels passing beneath the bridge connecting Fort Walton Beach to Okaloosa Island.

The $171-million Brooks Bridge replacement project includes constructing two new, parallel bridge structures that will increase capacity to six travel lanes. The current bridge, which opened in 1966, has four lanes.

The Florida Department of Transportation is overseeing the project.

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