New underpass will improve safety and add beauty to popular intersection

By Wendy O. Dixon

Now open to one of the busiest highways in Northwest Florida, a pedestrian passageway that will increase safety in the area is complete. The underpass located at Inlet Beach will address a major safety concern for pedestrians, bikers and drivers. 

Scenic Walton led the project with support from county officials, state representatives, local businesses and community leaders. Leigh Moore, executive director at Scenic Walton, says the idea for a safe passageway goes back more than 10 years. 

“Inlet beach had little commercial development, and much fewer residential development than today,” Leigh says. “Then, the Donut Hole opened, and for the first time there was a reason for a larger number of people to cross Highway 98. Next came 30Avenue   then Crossings in Inlet Beach and additional shops, hotels and condos. The Inlet community development exploded all in a 10-year period.”

It became quickly apparent that the busy intersection was becoming more dangerous for pedestrians, bikers and also vehicular traffic. “We started to talk to people in the community,” Leigh continues. “We pulled a group of people together — citizen activists, business owners, Walton County and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) — with two priorities. The first was to make this intersection safer, and secondly, to make it more beautiful.”

Several initiatives included getting better pathways in that location. “The five-foot sidewalks on 98 and other pathways on 30A were not great,” Leigh explains. “It needed better street lighting and markings for crossing, as well as new landscaping. We once considered an overpass, but there were many problems with that. Overpasses require entrances that are ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. You have to have elevators or ramps, which could only be so steep and which would require the ramps to be quite long. It became impossible to do. Plus, you would have to build it high enough to clear traffic. The structure would have been humongous, thereby discouraging people from using it because it would be so far to walk. Elevators are slow, they break down and don’t accommodate cyclists well.”

After the overpass consideration was nixed, Scenic Walton and their partners did a lot of study evaluations and determined an underpass would work. “They had to engineer so it could handle water,” Leigh says. “It had to be well lit. So that’s how it came to pass.” 

The $5.6-million-project also includes an art component in the form of murals and sculptures commissioned by the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA). With beautiful landscaping and inspiring artwork, the journey through the underpass is not only safer, it is meant to be enjoyable. “We want to make it an experience,” Leigh says. “Not just getting from point A to point B. The CAA did an amazing job with the murals. Sculptures are also coming. They will be part of the second phase of public art that will be installed and unveiled in several months. We’re extremely excited about the art.”

The underpass is the second of its kind in Northwest Florida. The first is in Tallahassee at Florida State University. FDOT Public Information Director Ian Satter says this project is the result of a good working relationship with Walton County and other agencies. “It’s unique in that it is part of a package appropriation from the legislature and with cooperation from Walton County,” he says. “Once completed, you’ll have a safe and efficient mode of travel for pedestrians and cyclists.”

Scenic Walton is grateful to business owners who have generously given their time and money,” Leigh says. “They don’t like to talk about themselves, but 30Avenue, Shades Restaurant, the Donut Hole, Inlet Beach Commons, the Shops at Inlet and of course FDOT and the Walton County Board of County Commissioners and Tourism Department contributed money to make this happen. We also had great support from Senator George Gainer and Representative Brad Drake at the time, representatives who got state funding for it. And also a huge nod to Cultural Arts Alliance.” 

A lot of what Scenic Walton does — public roadway landscaping, overhead utilities, underground utilities — directly or indirectly increase safety. “It is not just about beauty,” Leigh says. “If your environment is beautiful, it is proven to contribute to better health outcomes. This project is extra special because it will directly save lives. We’re so glad to be a part of a project that will enable people to safely cross the intersection. Kids that go to school will have safe passage as will families and individuals going back and forth. It is such an amazing project that’s a long time coming but well worth the wait. I am more passionate about this project than anything we have ever worked on, and that is saying a lot.”

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