OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — Okaloosa County has been awarded $4 million by the state to help improve traffic congestion on Highway 98.
The county is working on the “98 Parallel Collector Road.” It will run parallel to Highway 98, north of Green Drive East to Solar Drive. That alignment will also include a second “back” access point to Hurlburt Field.
Santa Rosa County has a similar concept to address traffic congestion on Highway 98. It’s called the “Navarre Community Access Road.” That involves identifying an east-west corridor parallel to Highway 98, offering a different route for commuters.
The $4 million from the state will be used to see if the two projects can be connected.
“We’re being respectful of private property rights as we do this. We’re not looking to force anyone out of their property or anything like that. That’s not what this is,” said commissioner Trey Goodwin. “We are moving to approve this as a coordinated effort. There is no government strong arming in any of this. This is a benefit to everyone and we are looking for the least and most effective path, with the least impact to the people that live there.”
“The Interlocal Agreement” must be approved by both Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.