Okaloosa County Completes Paving of Nearly 200 Miles of Dirt Roads

Okaloosa County commissioners announced Thursday that they have paved nearly all county-maintained dirt roads—about 200 miles total—ahead of schedule, thanks to a voter-approved infrastructure surtax passed in 2018.

The project, which began as a modest "50 in 5" initiative by then-Commissioner Nathan Boyles in 2020, exceeded its original goal of stabilizing 50 miles in five years. Instead, the county completed 180 miles of work in just four years, leaving only a handful of roads remaining. The improvements use a limerock base with either chip-seal or hot-mix asphalt topping.

"These are the types of projects that the residents expect from their government," said County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin in a statement. Officials say the paved roads will reduce long-term maintenance and fuel costs that previously went toward repairing washed-out dirt roads after heavy rain. Boyles, now a state representative, praised the county's continued investment in infrastructure. "As a taxpayer, I am proud that our County continues to wisely invest taxpayer money in infrastructure that makes our lives better," he said.

The county maintains a dashboard tracking current and completed infrastructure projects at myokaloosa.com/bcc/infrastructureprojects.