SHALIMAR — The ride over the Cinco Bayou and Shalimar bridges are smoother than they’ve been in years.
Contractors for the state Department of Transportation began resurfacing the Cinco Bayou Bridge on Wednesday night and were finished Thursday morning.
The bridge work is part of the $6.9 million job to resurface 4.5 miles of Eglin Parkway from Shalimar south to U.S. Highway 98 in Fort Walton Beach.
The work began in February 2012. It is scheduled to be finished in the fall, according to DOT spokeswoman Tanya Branton.
“Improvements will provide a safer more efficient corridor that embodies DOT’s mission to provide a safe transportation system, to ensure the mobility of people and goods, enhance economic prosperity, and preserve the quality of our environment and communities,” Branton said.
The Cinco Bayou and Shalimar bridges were last repaved in 1999, also as part of a resurfacing project from Shalimar to U.S. 98.
The most significant and time-consuming work on the current project involved replacing aging stormwater pipes running under Eglin in Shalimar.
The job included digging 8 feet below the pavement and installing 48-inch-by-76-inch pipes to run alongside the existing 15- and 18-inch pipes.
That job was completed last month, much to the relief of motorists and Shalimar business owners.
“A lot of (customers) are just saying they’re glad they’re gone,” Robert Elledge, who manages Waterworx Car Wash, said at the time.
Work also was delayed for a time after a construction worker was killed by a motorist last August near the intersection of Katherine Street.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.