Mid-Bay Bridge (Choctawhatchee Bay)
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The Mid-Bay Bridge or Choctawhatchee Mid-Bay Bridge is a 141-span, 3.6-mile, two-lane toll bridge in Okaloosa County in the Florida Panhandle. It connects State Road 20 in Niceville to U.S. Highway 98 in Destin. The bridge generally runs north-south; the approaches to the bridge carry the State Road 293 designation while the bridge itself carries the TOLL 293 shield.
The bridge crosses Choctawhatchee Bay, part of the Intracoastal Waterway. It was constructed in 1994, when the Florida Department of Transportation recognized the growing need for a more direct route for south-bound tourists to the Destin beaches. Another argument for construction of the bridge was to assist hurricane evacuation from population centers and resorts on the Gulf of Mexico. To further this aim various studies are being conducted to extend State Road 293 further north to connect to State Road 285 and State Road 85.
There is one toll plaza at the north end of the bridge. As of July, 2007, the one way toll for a standard 2-axle vehicle was $2.50. Tolls may be paid with cash or with the SunPass electronic toll system.
