The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the allocation of $2 million from FY24 Surtax Reserves to continue funding the “Fifty-in-Five” Dirt Road Stabilization Improvement Project on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
- The project, which aims to stabilize and pave the county’s remaining dirt roads within five years, was first proposed by Commissioner Nathan Boyles in 2020.
According to Commissioner Boyles, county-maintained dirt roads cost nearly three times as much to maintain as paved roads, and they also contribute to increased vehicle maintenance costs for citizens and environmental damage to local creeks and rivers.
The “Fifty-in-Five” project seeks to address these issues by stabilizing and paving the remaining dirt roads in the county.
The $2 million allocation comes from the Half-Cent Infrastructure Surtax and will be used to complete lime rock stabilization for the remaining 14 miles of dirt roads. To date, $13,452,000 of Surtax funding has been allocated to the stabilization of approximately 116 miles of dirt roads, according to the county.
- The Infrastructure Surtax Advisory Committee approved the recommendation of the allocation at their May 15, 2024 committee meeting.
The completion of this project is expected to reduce maintenance costs for the county, improve road conditions for residents, and minimize the environmental impact of dirt roads on the local ecosystem.
