Florida House District 3 Representative Jayer Williamson has been working with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ office to help secure an extension to the suspension of tolls on Garcon Point Bridge in the wake of Hurricane Sally and the resulting closure of Pensacola Bay Bridge.
The Governor’s current waiver on the Garcon Point Bridge toll was set to expire tomorrow, but now it has been extended until 6 a.m., Friday, October 23.
“I am extremely grateful for Governor DeSantis and his understanding of how important extending the Garcon Point toll suspension is to both Santa Rosa and Escambia counties,” Williamson told South Santa Rosa News. “I would also like to thank Representative Andrade and Senator Broxson for their time and effort on this important issue. The Northwest Florida Legislative Delegation will continue to work for all of you as we move forward in recovering from Hurricane Sally.”
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Kevin J. Thibault, P.E. has directed Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) to further extend the toll suspension on the Garcon Point Bridge, pursuant to Executive Order 20-225. The extended suspension is in effect until 6 a.m. Friday, October 23, 2020.
This extension allows the department to assess damage on the Pensacola Bay Bridge as the Garcon Point Bridge serves as a temporary detour route.
Pursuant to a lease purchase agreement with the Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority, the Department operates and maintains the Garcon Point Bridge. This includes collecting and remitting tolls to the trustee for the Authority’s bondholders.
In addition, a new, temporary traffic signal is operational at the intersection of State Road (S.R.) 281 (Avalon Boulevard) and I-10 in Santa Rosa County. Variable message boards have been placed near the intersection to alert drivers about the temporary signal.
The temporary signal was installed to ease traffic flow associated with the utilization of the Garcon Point Bridge on S.R. 281 as a designated detour route due to the closure of the Pensacola Bay Bridge.
For the latest information about the Pensacola Bay Bridge, please visit fdot.gov/PensacolaBay. Travelers can also access Florida’s 511 service from cell phones, landlines and online at www.FL511.com. For more information, follow Florida’s Turnpike on Twitter @FloridaTurnpike or on Facebook at Facebook.com/MyFDOTTurnpike.
