Officials in Okaloosa County, Florida, have approved a $10 million local contribution toward widening State Road 85 from Live Oak Church Road to P.J. Adams Parkway. The 1-mile project carries an estimated construction cost of $36.2 million and is included in the Florida Department of Transportation’s tentative 2028 work plan. Work remains in the planning and right-of-way acquisition phase ahead of construction.
County public works officials anticipate widening this section of SR 85 is critical to ensuring the $200 million Southwest Crestview Bypass and Interstate 10 interchange projects deliver their full traffic benefits. The bypass, a major regional transportation project now underway, is expected to restructure how drivers move through south Crestview. Officials caution, however, that the new route will work as intended only if SR 85 is widened to handle the added demand.
State Road 85 serves as Okaloosa County’s primary north-south corridor, carrying daily commuters, military traffic, and seasonal visitors traveling between Interstate 10 and the Emerald Coast.
In preparation for the project, the county has already purchased one of the stormwater management sites and is negotiating a second one that can be donated to FDOT. The agency’s 2028 work program begins July 1, 2027, but officials expect construction to begin around 2028, pending right-of-way acquisitions.
Photo by David Rado from Pexels
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