Okaloosa County Commissioners unanimously approved allocating $10 million in surtax reserves toward widening a congested stretch of State Road 85 in south Crestview, fulfilling a local funding commitment needed to advance the Florida Department of Transportation project.

• The funding targets a one-mile segment between Live Oak Church Road and PJ Adams Parkway that FDOT refers to as “the miracle mile,” according to Public Works Director Scott Bitterman. Construction alone is estimated at $36.2 million to expand the roadway to six lanes.

The widening would enhance the $200 million investment from FDOT, Okaloosa County and the City of Crestview for the Southwest Crestview Bypass and Interstate 10 interchange projects. But the new bypass loses much of its value without addressing the bottleneck on Highway 85.

“Mayor [JB] Whitten earlier mentioned that going back up to Crestview, he’s going to get stuck in the traffic,” Bitterman told commissioners, referring to the mayor’s earlier comments. “So to get the full benefit of that bypass, we need to six lane Highway 85 between Shoal River and PJ Adams Parkway.”

FDOT has designed improvements for SR 85 from SR 123 to I-10 to widen the roadway to six lanes, addressing current capacity constraints. Estimated costs for the full improvement reach $219 million for right-of-way acquisition and construction.

The segment from just north of the Shoal River bridge to PJ Adams Parkway represents the most critical portion of the project, with right-of-way and construction costs estimated at $54 million, according to the county. FDOT has this segment in its draft five-year work program for fiscal year 2028, which starts July 1, 2027.

• Traffic congestion on State Road 85 during peak hours affects quality of life for residents and impacts the ability of military personnel to meet mission requirements at Eglin Air Force Base, according to the county. The Air Force strongly supports the widening project.

The county has been working ahead of FDOT’s timeline by securing land needed for the project. Officials have purchased one stormwater pond site at SR 85 and Live Oak Church Road and are negotiating to acquire a second pond location. Road widening projects require stormwater management systems to handle runoff from the expanded pavement.

Once both sites are secured, the county will donate them to FDOT. The county values the two pond parcels at $10 million. Combined with the $10 million cash allocation approved by commissioners, the county’s total contribution reaches $20 million toward the $54 million segment.

The state would need to provide $34 million of the overall cost for this portion of the project.

The Infrastructure Surtax Advisory Committee recommended the allocation at its Jan. 7 meeting.