Southwest Crestview Bypass nearing completion; county hopes to open road by year-end

Deputy County Administrator Jason Autry said construction on the Southwest Crestview Bypass in Okaloosa County is “going great” and that county staff expect the new roadway to open to the public by the end of the calendar year.

Autry, speaking at the bypass project site, said most of the asphalt has been laid and that the bridge contractor has installed the girders and has “a couple of sections of decking left to pour,” creating what he described as “a full bridge over the railroad track now.” He added that the project’s stormwater ponds are excavated and currently being used as temporary access to reach the nearby arena landfill.

The update also noted work by the Florida Department of Transportation on a nearby overpass. Autry said FDOT’s deck is in place but that the state project is “about a year behind us,” and that FDOT is adjusting traffic patterns along PGA Davis Parkway to open a new alignment in front of the school. “I think we'll see some shifts in the traffic out there before the end of the year,” he said.

County and project officials said the bypass is financed from multiple sources, including the voter-approved infrastructure surtax. The host at the site noted residents can find further information about county infrastructure projects at myokaloosa.com.

While county staff reported visible progress and a target opening this year, no formal vote or other county action on the project was recorded in the on-site update.

Autry’s remarks were limited to construction progress, staging and a target opening date; he did not provide a final contract amount, a detailed funding breakdown, or a firm FDOT schedule for the adjacent overpass.