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.
The project increases the total allocation specifically for the Mid Bay area by a third.
Currently, the county and contractors are working on sidewalk improvements at the Redwood Avenue and John Sims Parkway intersection. The County has allocated $1.35M to the project.
In Bluwater Bay, the county put aside $200,000 for stormwater improvements in the Municipal Services Benefit Unit.
RELATED: Stormwater Might Drown Bluewater Bay – Bluewater United Has A Plan to Avoid Future Flooding.
St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers and journalists, pray for us!
