Destin City Council voted 6-1 Monday night to draft a resolution supporting the closure of the intersection at US 98 and Regions Way, following a fatal crash last week that brought renewed attention to the dangerous crossing.
- Councilman Torey Geile cast the lone vote against the measure, which will now be sent to Okaloosa County officials to seek their support as well.
During the council meeting, Mayor Bobby Wagner addressed the issue, noting that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will be repaving Danny Wuerffel Way in the fall and had reached out to determine if there was support to include modifications to the US 98 and Regions Way intersection as part of that project.
The intersection has been the site of 60 documented crashes over a five-year period, with 14 crashes resulting in injuries requiring medical transportation, according to an FDOT study conducted by Florida Transportation Engineering.
- After the April 2 fatal crash, Wagner had urged citizens to support safety improvements at the intersection, posting on social media that the location had seen “60 crashes, 14 injuries, and now, 1 fatality.”
The FDOT study pointed to several factors contributing to the dangerous conditions, including significant traffic queuing issues, frequent backup from nearby traffic signals, and “good Samaritan” gestures where drivers wave others through traffic – which accounted for 17 crashes.
The study’s primary recommendation was to reconstruct the existing full median opening at the intersection and convert it to a “directionalized left-turn only” for eastbound and westbound left-turn and U-turn movements.
- Wagner had previously noted that these safety improvements would come at no cost to the city through an existing FDOT resurfacing project, but required formal support from the city to move forward.
With Monday’s vote, the city will now work to secure Okaloosa County’s support through resolution before sending to FDOT.
2 Responses
Something must be done to improve not only this intersection but the overall traffic congestion.
Thank you for addressing this important issue.
You wanted more stores, more people and you allow golf carts to move about freely, then you complain because you have created a nightmare. UNBELIEVABLE.