DeFuniak Springs Retimes US 331 Signals as Isaias Evacuation Traffic Builds
DeFuniak Springs is retiming its traffic signals along US 331 to keep Hurricane Isaias evacuation traffic moving, and Freeport drivers on side streets should expect longer waits at red lights.
The City of DeFuniak Springs announced Thursday that signal timing along US 331 — northbound and southbound, throughout the city — will be adjusted to favor the evacuation route as coastal residents move inland ahead of the storm. Priority goes to the highway itself, which means motorists traveling eastbound and westbound on intersecting streets should plan for extended delays at signals.
The change lands squarely in Freeport’s path. US 331 is the corridor Freeport residents use to reach I-10 at Exit 85, and north of Freeport it runs straight into DeFuniak Springs, where the signal adjustments are in effect. Walton County ordered a mandatory evacuation of Zones A, B and C beginning at noon Thursday, with Freeport High School open as the county’s primary shelter — so the highway the county seat is now prioritizing is the same one Freeport and South Walton evacuees are counting on.
The city is asking drivers to use caution, remain patient and allow extra travel time, with heavy traffic expected throughout the area as the evacuation continues.
Isaias is expected to make landfall on the Florida Panhandle on Friday, and a Hurricane Warning remains in effect for coastal Walton County including Freeport. The Clyde B. Wells Bridge over Choctawhatchee Bay remains open, with any closure triggered by sustained winds of 40 mph. Residents evacuating north on 331 should build the DeFuniak signal delays into their travel plans — and keep moving while the window to do so is still open.
Originally reported by MyPanhandle (WMBB) and WJHG Newschannel 7. Image: City of DeFuniak Springs traffic alert graphic via MyPanhandle (WMBB).
