Morgan said he didn't mind being inconvenienced, but questioned whether the project was needed. In the long run the quality of our roads is not what folks talk about when the leave Destin. With our traffic they should be going so slow it shouldn't matter. They're so many other things we should be spending the money on. Meister said a project of this magnitude inevitably brings change orders that can delay the completion date.
Weather is another unpredictable factor that can add time to the equation.
Anderson Columbia is the contractor for the project. Meister said the project director is Taylor Davis, a former Okaloosa Asphalt employee, who helped in the timely rebuild of U.S. 98 on Okaloosa Island after Hurricane Opal washed the road away. Other municipal concerns are to make sure sidewalks are closed for no more than 24 hours and that Destin gets notice of all lane closures so emergency county personnel can be notified and routes changed as required. One lane in each direction is expected to remain open to traffic Meister said, with the exception of the drainage work near Harbor Docks. Meister said the harbor will reap an environmental windfall from the resurfacing project.