The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners approved the allocation of $1.5 million from FY24 Surtax Reserves for the Traffic Management Center Project on Tuesday, April 4, 2024. 

• The new TMC will be an addition to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Niceville, FL, and will monitor the county-wide fiber optic network that provides communication to various traffic-related systems, including traffic signal controllers, CCTV cameras at intersections, and dynamic message signs. 

The TMC staff will be able to respond to real-time operational adjustment needs and immediate incident response tasks to improve traffic flow and dispatch emergency response to roadway incidents, stalled vehicles, and weather-related incidents. 

• The facility will include redundant servers and fiber optics for a robust communications system and provide fiber optic communications with Okaloosa EOC, FDOT District office, and other regional TMCs.

The estimated cost for the building’s construction is $2,500,000, with an additional $500,000 for CEI and contingency. Okaloosa County is expecting to receive a Joint Participation Agreement from the Florida Department of Transportation in July 2024 for this project in the amount of $1,500,000. 

• The county is also applying for a $1,000,000 grant from the Department of Defense for the development of this project.

Colonel Patrick T. Dierig, USAF Commander, 1 Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, endorsed the TMC project, stating that it is a “critical mission multiplier that will greatly enhance military ability to respond to real world mission in a timely manner, and rapidly deploy and execute specialized and contingency operations in support of national priorities.” 

He also mentioned that the project will improve the quality of life for Hurlburt’s service members and community members by allowing them to reach the base in a timely manner to meet mission requirements.

The Infrastructure Surtax Advisory Committee approved the recommendation of allocating Surtax Reserves for this project in the amount of $1.5M at their May 15, 2024 committee meeting. Any unused Surtax funds will be returned to Surtax Reserves.