Major Alf Coleman Road Work Begins October

A $5.3 million rehabilitation project to address flooding on Alf Coleman Road will start on Monday, October 2, which will necessitate a temporary road closure on the northern portion of the road between Lowe’s and Cabana Boulevard.

Mayor Mark Sheldon said he is happy to see this much-needed project kick off.

“We are excited to be starting this road project, in that Alf Coleman is so prone to floods when it rains,” Sheldon said. “Stormwater is a major concern for this City Council. We never want any of our residents or businesses to have flood water in their homes or businesses. We are thankful for getting the funding for this project and it will totally improve the quality of life for everyone in the area.”

Gulf Coast Utility Contractors, LLC will be resurfacing, rehabilitating, and reconstructing existing pavement on Alf Coleman between Hutchison Boulevard and Panama City Beach Parkway. The road, which is prone to flood during heavy rainfall, will be raised to an elevation of up to 18 inches at its highest point to reduce roadway flooding. The drainage system will be improved, to include the reconstruction of cross drain culverts. A continuous sidewalk is also being added on the west side of Alf Coleman Road within the project limits. There will also be new pavement striping, signage, and roadway lighting.

Due to the extensive nature of the project, Alf Coleman Road will be completely closed 24 hours a day for four months (120 days), from the north side of Cabana Boulevard to the south side of the north Lowe’s entrance.  The road closure begins Tuesday, Oct. 3.

Full access to all businesses and residences will be maintained during the project. Through traffic is being detoured at Hutchison Boulevard and Panama City Beach Parkway to either Richard Jackson Boulevard or Clara Avenue. Local traffic can access neighborhoods on Alf Coleman Road from the south as far as Cabana Boulevard. The contractor will close a single lane of traffic at various times, with flaggers present, to allow for asphalt overbuild placement to raise the roadway between Moonraker Circle and Cabana Boulevard.

The contract for the project was awarded in April. Construction could not begin, however, until the revised total budget for the project was approved by the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM). This approval was received in September.

The construction portion of the project is 100 percent grant funded. The City paid for the design portion and received a $1.6 million grant from FDEM for drainage and utility improvements, resiliency and raising the roadway. The remaining funds came from the Florida Department of Transportation’s safety funds for sidewalk and lighting improvements, and FDOT general highway funds for resurfacing, signalization and signage. 

onstruction of the project is anticipated to take one year. The contractor will be working Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with night work and occasional Saturday work expected.

After the initial 120 days, there will be other temporary lane closures scheduled, with one lane remaining open at all times. These closures will be posted on the City’s website and Facebook pages. Click here for a flyer on the road closure.