MILLIGAN — Demolition of a small, dilapidated former grocery store on the corner of U.S. Highway 90 and State Road 4 paves the way for a planned northbound turn lane.
"There's been stores there for a long time," dating back to Milligan's role as Okaloosa County's first seat, Baker Block Museum Director Ann Spann said.
The building demolished two weeks ago was of modern cement block construction and was not historically significant, Spann said.
Debra Benoit, who owned the property with her husband, Edward, said the state purchased a portion of the land to obtain right-of-way for planned intersection improvements.
As the main highway to Baker, the intersection is on the Florida Department of Transportation's Five-Year Work Program plan for the 2013-14 fiscal year.
The plan's other 2013-14 local projects include replacing the U.S. 90 Yellow River bridge, adding right turn lanes on southbound State Road 189 from Baker onto the Galliver Cutoff, and a northbound right turn lane from S.R. 189 to 14th Street in Baker.
The $1,847,000 turn lane from U.S. 90 up S.R. 4 is on the Okaloosa Walton Transportation Planning Organization's list of transportation improvement projects to be completed this fiscal year.
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Milligan store demolished for planned turn lane onto SR 4