Gulf County approves developer-led replacement of Buddy Floral Bridge, temporarily routes traffic on developer-maintained bypass

Gulf County commissioners voted to allow a developer to replace the Buddy Floral bridge while the county will construct the bridge abutments and the developer will provide and maintain a temporary bypass during construction. The board also voted to reject a previously bid grant that would have paid for county work on the bridge.

The board’s action followed a presentation from a developer representative and discussion of temporary traffic access. “The developers agreed to replace the bridge. We're gonna do the abutments. They're gonna pave the road in, and we needed a either a temporary bridge or a bypass, while the bridge is being replaced,” a county speaker told the commission. The developer representative described safety and environmental concerns with building an additional bridge and proposed…