Recent rain has worsened already rough conditions along Eglin Parkway, where an $11.6 million state resurfacing project has left portions of the road in poor shape after the contractor pulled its crew to work on another project.
- Town of Shalimar Mayor Mark Franks posted an update Tuesday saying the contractor handling the Florida Department of Transportation resurfacing project has more than 10 other active projects and moved its Eglin Parkway crew to finish work elsewhere.
“I let them [FDOT] know the condition of this road is totally unacceptable and frankly dangerous,” Franks said. “It should have never gotten to this point in the first place.”
Franks said FDOT assured him the crew would return to the Eglin Parkway project as soon as possible.
FDOT’s $11.6 million resurfacing of Eglin Parkway (State Road 85) from Richbourg Avenue in Shalimar to U.S. 98 in Fort Walton Beach was announced in May 2024 and began in late 2025. The project includes sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, signalization upgrades, stormwater management enhancements, and new signing and pavement markings. Construction is scheduled for completion in late 2027.
Eglin Parkway is a state road maintained by FDOT, not by Okaloosa County or the Town of Shalimar.
Drivers should use caution along the corridor, particularly during and after wet weather.
14 Responses
These roads have damaged my STOCK suspension on my vehicle, not to mention the wear and tear on my tires and rims. Who can I contact and file a complaint with?
When awarding bids to these contractors why is there not a deadline involved that states you finish by this time or you will lose a certain amount of money each day beyond that deadline? As well as we will award additional money if you finish ahead of schedule? I lived in Birmingham briefly and this seemed to work on major roads there. Eglin Parkway is ridiculous, especially the bridges!
A system like this already exists; just depends if FDOT enforces it.
The contractor has 500+ days from July 2025 to finish. It was baked in the contract. FDOT needs to tighten the elapsed time allowed. In this case it should have been 365 days in my opinion.
Why did this contractor get the job knowing the company was not able to do the work in a reasonable time due to its rapid deterioration? I hope this job gets done correctly and lasts a long time>
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FDOT reports directly to the Governor. It’s obvious that they are falling down on the job. I just recommended to Gov Desantis that he terminate the paving contract for default or convenience and reaward it to a contractor that has the wherewithal to get the job done. I would highly recommend that everyone else who is fed up with these third world conditions do the same. Email Ron now.
Do you guys remember all the work being done to expand 98 from about mid-Destin to Santa Rosa Beach? That project took WAY longer than it was originally quoted and Walton County was done quite some time before Okaloosa County if my memory is correct. I don’t what the heck is wrong with some of these people and their “bright ideas” on where they are going to build things around here! It’s almost like they are trying to put square pegs in round holes, it just doesn’t work and if you can get it to fit, it won’t fit for very long! They are closing an Elementary School that’s been there since at least the late 70’s at Mary Esther C. I. & 98 but yet they squeeze a Marriot on 98 at the end of Beal Pkwy and want to complain about traffic congestion on 98? A huge hotel on the sound side of 98 in a teensey space probably wasn’t the best decision but let’s close a long stand Elementary School instead! And get me started about build anything on Noriega Point! Are they trying to come up with a very bad insurance scandal way in advance, before putting that project in motion? They obviously have not looked at pictures of Noriega Point over the past 50 or so years to see how much and often it has changed in that time frame!!!
Totally agree, the Destin harbor is bad enough already, they’ve already built all the new boat slips which take up navigable water. Another marina, more boats, less space and more to clean up after a hurricane. 🙄
The last time Eglin Parkway was resurfaced, it was a fiasco. Highway 98 was widened from the east side of Destin into Walton County, only to bottle neck into 2 lanes through Destin at Airport Road. Now, hundreds of new boat slips and, from what I’ve heard, another marina is planned for an already crowded Destin harbor, filled with tourists who seem to have a difficult time navigating it as it is. A bike lane that glows in the dark from the boardwalk to the Destin bridge is useless. No way to ride to Destin and access the bridge, even if you could, the pedestrian walk way on the bridge isn’t big enough. Bike lanes are, ON, an already congested and dangerous highway and, I see drivers in all types of vehicles drifting into it. This one isn’t a Destin only problem but a nation wide problem. Cross walks, at the intersection? The worst one is at Stahlman and 98, crossing south. Pedestrians get the green to cross, then drivers turning right on red, look left, but never right. I’ve seen close calls many times a week there. It should be no turn on red.
Who designed all this and thought it was a good idea?
Thank you Shalimar Mayor for pushing FDOT’s button. We currently have a duopoly on major paving projects which needs to be broken
What they have started so far is terrible. Who paves in random 50-300 yard segments. That is not cost effective, nor a good management of time & resources. I am not optimistic they will do the entire 7 lanes based on what I see. Very disappointing.
no work had been done since February. I drive this road 4 days a week to and from work and fortunately I drive a truck. I feel for anybody driving a car. This was supposed to be done in 2025 and then they put it off. Drop the contractor and rebid it if needed and lets get it done or at least patch the holes.
Maybe the Shalimar Mayor can use some of that speed trap money a have Eglin Pkwy Repaved.