The Gulf Breeze Wayside Park Boat Ramp was selected by the Trustees for implementation in third phase of early restoration. The project included needed repairs to the existing Gulf Breeze Wayside Park public boat ramp and seawall cap, construction of a public restroom facility, and repair and enhancement of the parking area for improved access. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection was allocated $309,699 to implement the project.
In May 2015, the Florida Department of Transportation received approval from the Federal Highway Administration to design and construct a new Pensacola Bay Bridge. The Gulf Breeze Wayside Park is located at the base of the proposed new bridge. The construction is slated to begin in 2017 and will take at least four years. During construction, the existing park and boat ramp will be closed to the public.
At a meeting on November 3, 2016, the Florida Trustee Implementation Group considered the impacts of the construction of the Pensacola Bay Bridge on the Gulf Breeze Boat Ramp Project. We determined that the Gulf Breeze Boat Ramp project is not viable during bridge construction and elected not to implement it at this time.
This decision does not preclude the Florida TIG from considering to fund the project once the construction of the Pensacola Bay Bridge is completed.