This week’s traffic standstill along U.S. 98, which forced military leadership to implement emergency measures, has thrust into sharp focus what base officials have long warned about: traffic congestion near Hurlburt Field isn’t merely a commuter inconvenience – it’s a military readiness issue that could impact national security operations.
The situation became critical Monday when construction reducing U.S. Highway 98 to one lane in each direction created massive delays, prompting Col. Patrick Dierig, Commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, to take immediate action.
- He authorized squadron commanders to implement flexible schedules and alternate duty locations, while also extending Child Development Centers and Youth Center hours without late fees.
“Due to this week’s Hwy 98 construction impacts, I have authorized all 1 SOW squadron commanders maximum flexibility on how they manage work schedules, shifts, and alternate duty locations,” Dierig announced via Facebook.
The Florida Department of Transportation has since halted the construction project. “Crews have restored all lanes of traffic this morning,” FDOT District Three Public Information Officer Ian Satter said Tuesday morning. “FDOT engineers are currently developing a new construction plan to complete the pipe replacement project with the least amount of impact to the traveling public.”
For Dierig, who discussed these challenges in an April interview with Get The Coast, this week’s events validate his ongoing concerns about the corridor’s impact on military operations. Traffic management stands as one of his top local concerns that affects mission execution as well as quality of life for both Hurlburt Airmen and the local community.
“I never want to call the Air Force Special Operations Commander and say, ‘Sir, the mission failed because of a traffic jam,'” Dierig said in that April interview, highlighting how traffic delays could compromise the base’s special operations missions, some of which operate on extremely short timelines.
The current situation has accelerated discussions about long-term solutions, including a proposed collector road project that received initial funding in August.
- Okaloosa County approved a $1.1 million Project Development and Environment study for a three-mile parallel road from Solar Street to Green Drive, designed to alleviate pressure on U.S. 98, which currently handles approximately 50,000 vehicles daily.
County Engineer Scott Bitterman previously noted that even FDOT’s planned expansion of U.S. 98 to six lanes may not be sufficient. “A six lane highway, it can handle about 55,000 cars per day. So if-and-when Highway 98 gets widened out to six lanes, it’s still going to be almost at capacity when it’s open day one,” Bitterman said during an August county meeting.
Dierig emphasized in his April interview that solving the traffic issue requires extensive coordination across multiple government levels.
- “We need a whole-of-government approach to get a secondary east-west corridor parallel to Highway 98,” he said, noting that such a solution would require local, state, and federal funding coordination, along with potential Air Force investment for a western gate. “We have got to get something that connects at least from Highway 87 to Hurlburt Field.”
The proposed collector road project involves partnerships with several entities, including the Air Force, Okaloosa Water and Sewer, Florida Department of Transportation, Okaloosa Public Schools, and the Florosa Fire Control District.
While FDOT works to revise its immediate construction plans, the larger infrastructure challenges remain. As Dierig noted in April, while solutions may take years to implement, his goal is to establish clear milestones for future base leadership to follow, ensuring continuity in addressing what has become both a quality of life and military readiness issue.
