FORT WALTON BEACH — Drivers looking to access U.S. Highway 98 via Perry Avenue on weekends will need to find another route this summer.
Beginning Saturday, June 6, the northbound lane of Perry Avenue Southeast between Brooks Street and U.S. Highway 98 will be closed on weekends through Labor Day weekend, according to city officials.
The closure will be in effect on Saturdays and Sundays, with barricades placed at both Brooks Street and U.S. Highway 98 to prevent northbound traffic from traveling through the corridor.
Southbound traffic on Perry Avenue will remain open during the closure period.
City officials say the temporary traffic change is intended to reduce congestion on nearby residential streets caused by drivers attempting to bypass heavier traffic on major roadways by cutting through neighborhoods to reach eastbound U.S. Highway 98.
To help alert motorists, the city will place a message board on Hollywood Boulevard advising drivers that residential streets no longer provide access to U.S. Highway 98 through Perry Avenue.
Officials are encouraging motorists traveling southbound and seeking access to U.S. Highway 98 to use Eglin Parkway (State Road 85) instead.
The weekend closure is expected to remain in place through Labor Day weekend as officials monitor traffic patterns and neighborhood impacts.
