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Feasibility study outlines $1–14 million options to ease congestion at Keaton Beach and Steen Hatchee boat ramps
Summary
An AFCON feasibility study presented to the Taylor County Commission evaluates roadway widening and three bypass scenarios at Keaton Beach and Steen Hatchee, with cost estimates ranging from about $1 million for limited widening to $7.5–14 million for a large regional bypass; permitting and wetland mitigation are major constraints.
The Taylor County Commission received a feasibility study June 16 that lays out options to reduce traffic and safety problems at Keaton Beach and the Steen Hatchee boat ramps. John Collins of AFCON, the consultant, told commissioners the report—funded with a Restore Act grant—analyzes alternatives that range from road widening to full bypasses and includes environmental and cost estimates.
At Keaton Beach, AFCON eliminated a full new-road bypass after finding deed restrictions on park property and extensive wetlands. The recommended approach is to widen the existing two-lane road to include a center turn lane and improved turning pockets to reduce congestion when boaters park and launch trailers; Collins estimated the cost for that approach at roughly $1 million to $2 million, and he flagged Army Corps permitting and wetland mitigation as required steps.
Steen Hatchee presents more complex choices, Collins said. Staff evaluated a local improvement that upgrades existing roads and would generally avoid new wetland impacts (estimated $1.25–2.5 million); a medium bypass that pushes traffic farther east but requires roughly eight acres of wetland mitigation (estimated $3.5–7 million); and a large regional bypass to 15th Street that would provide resilience and alternate routing but involve right-of-way acquisition and higher mitigation costs (roughly $7.5–14 million).
Collins said the study includes geotechnical and environmental investigations, and the team prepared cost ranges using FDOT unit-cost data and mitigation-credit pricing. He emphasized the county could phase construction if the commission opts for larger options—doing smaller segments first to spread grant needs over multiple funding rounds.
Commissioners asked about parking and child-safety concerns near Keaton Beach; Collins said all three of the studied options would reduce pedestrian exposure to launching traffic to varying degrees. The consultant recommended that the commission weigh a narrower, less-expensive fix against the long-term benefits of regional resilience when choosing which alternative to pursue.
The study will be retained in the county packet; staff indicated the next step is to review environmental permits and identify funding sources if the board selects a preferred alternative.
