News Release

Gulf Islands to Begin Permanent Repairs to Roadways Damaged by Hurricane Sally

Date: September 8, 2021
Contact: Susan Teel

GULF BREEZE, Fla. – Gulf Islands National Seashore officials expect the Federal Highway Administration to begin permanent repairs to J. Earle Bowden Way/Highway 399, Fort Pickens Road, and Johnson Beach Road Sept. 30, 2021.  

The road work will continue for the next year, with short temporary closures to the roads and bike lanes expected during these repairs. Repairs to J. Earle Bowden Way/Highway 399 will take place first because it is a hurricane evacuation route and major local commuting artery.

Once work is completed on Highway 399, the work will move to Fort Pickens Road, and then to Johnson Beach Road. This project will complete the permanent repairs to roadways damaged by Hurricane Sally last year.

Approximately 7 miles of J. Earle Bowden Way/Highway 399, including the bike lanes were damaged, and require extensive repairs. Fort Pickens Road and Johnson Beach Road and bikeways also sustained major damage and was temporarily repaired to allow vehicle traffic. 

Current closure information: www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisit/tempclosures.htm.www.nps.gov

About Gulf Islands National Seashore: Created in 1971, the national seashore stretches 160 miles along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida and Mississippi, and includes barrier islands, maritime forests, historic forts, bayous, and marine habitat. Visit us at www.nps.gov/GulfIslands, on Facebook www.facebook.com/GulfIslandsNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/GulfIslandsNPS, and Instagram www.Instagram.com/GulfIslandsNPS.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.