🌌 Glow trail opens: Florida’s first photoluminescent path now connects Brooks Bridge to East Pass Park.
🚴 Safer recreation: The 4.4-mile trail honors cyclists lost on U.S. 98.
🌿 Sustainable design: Built with eco-friendly materials and dune-protecting barriers.
OKALOOSA ISLAND — After years of planning, partnership, and perseverance, Okaloosa County has officially opened Florida’s first photoluminescent “glow” bike and pedestrian path, marking a significant milestone in the push for safer, more sustainable recreation spaces.
The 4.4-mile, 12-foot-wide “bridge-to-bridge” trail connects Brooks Bridge to East Pass Park and features a glowing blue surface made from bioluminescent rock that uses sunlight to illuminate the trail at night. The trail’s opening follows nearly a decade of negotiations with Eglin Air Force Base and construction with contractor C.W. Roberts.
The ceremony began with a blessing from Mel Ponder, president of Northwest Florida State College and former Okaloosa County Commissioner, who called the project a “generational blessing” and praised the collaboration among agencies and citizens.
“This path will be a point of connection, a point of healthy activity, and a part of a lifestyle for a healthy community,” Ponder said.
Tim Kruger, Freeport Area Manager for C.W. Roberts, highlighted the project’s innovation and environmental design.
“We are doing much more than opening up a bike path,” Kruger said. “We are unveiling a living work of art…..the longest photoluminescent bike path in the world. This project proves the future can be both bright and green.”
Okaloosa County Commission Chairman Paul Mixon underscored the spirit of teamwork with community partners that made the path possible despite challenges.
“We take for granted too often the value of these relationships,” Mixon said. “It’s through partnerships like these, local, state, and federal, that we can build something that truly enhances our way of life.”
County Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel, who first proposed the project nearly a decade ago, called the moment deeply personal and long overdue. She dedicated the path to those who lost their lives biking along U.S. 98, including Harry Robert Crawford, who was struck and killed on his way to an Easter sunrise service.
Ketchel credited community member Kathy Foster for sparking the idea after seeing a similar glowing path in Virginia. She also thanked Okaloosa County Deputy County Administrator of Developmental Services Jason Autrey, Eglin Air Force Base leaders, and private donors, including local developer Jay Odom, to bring the $4.4 million project to life.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has,” said Ketchel, quoting author Margaret Mead.
Funding for the trail came from tourism development dollars, a Florida Department of Transportation grant, and private contributions.
During a groundbreaking ceremony in July 2024, Autrey told the Northwest Florida Daily News that the trail’s design prioritizes both safety and environmental stewardship. The project includes natural wood-and-rope barriers to prevent dune damage and discourage misuse as a “third traffic lane.”
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office will enforce regulations that prohibit golf carts, scooters, and other motorized vehicles from using the trail.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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