Construction crews have been placing beams for the new westbound structure as part of the ongoing Brooks Bridge replacement project on Okaloosa Island this month.

• Crews recently installed the final beam for the westbound structure “span” above Santa Rosa Boulevard, with one end positioned on an abutment at a mechanically stabilized earth wall located at the northeast corner of the U.S. 98 and Santa Rosa Boulevard intersection. The other end rests on a recently constructed bridge pier.

Construction activities this month have concentrated on placing beams for the new westbound structure. Crews will next construct the bridge deck for this section of the bridge.

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

The Florida Department of Transportation is overseeing the project, which aims to increase traffic capacity across the waterway connecting the mainland to Okaloosa Island.