College Boulevard is one step closer to having safer walking, running and biking where it meets Forest Road. 

Okaloosa County Commissioners approved $550,000 for an administration, traffic study and a design of the potential improvements – which will be paid for by half-cent surtax money. 

“We want to make sure that we put [the multi-use path] in the right place so all of the residents, the students and all those who have reached out to us [get what they want],” said Okaloosa County Public Works Director Jason Autrey. 

The project, which is estimated to cost around $3.7M, will have help from the state. $1.5M of state legislature-approved money will help complete the project, thanks to State Representative Patt Maney.

“We’ve been fortunate that we are able to take this money and leverage it,” Autrey added. 

After architects design the plans for the multi-use pathway – Okaloosa County’s Public Works Department will seek the rest of the money it needs to construct the pathway. 

The Niceville/Bluewater Bay/Valparaiso area has a total of two of the county’s 21 underway infrastructure surtax projects.