FDOT to host public hearing on “Around the Mound” plan aimed at easing U.S. 98 congestion

Fort Walton Beach, Florida – The Florida Department of Transportation is getting ready to get feedback from the public next week as it continues its “Around the Mound” study. This study has been going on for a long time and is meant to help ease traffic on U.S. Highway 98 in Okaloosa County. On Tuesday, December 9, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., there will be a hybrid public hearing at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center. This will provide residents a chance to learn about the project’s latest news and express their opinions.

From 5:30 to 6:00 p.m., there will be an informal session at the start of the meeting in which attendees can look at displays and talk to project officials directly. FDOT will provide a formal presentation at 6 p.m. explaining the preferred design for the corridor. After that, there will be time for public comments. People can also join the event online, so they don’t have to be there in person.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) started the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study to find ways to make traffic flow better and make the section of U.S. 98 that is now quite busy with both local and regional travelers safer. The highway is the main way to get into downtown Fort Walton Beach, where there has been too much traffic for years. The study builds on work that has already been done, like the city’s Downtown Master Plan, which was finished in 2019, and an FDOT feasibility analysis, which was finished in 2020.

FDOT is recommending Alternative 1A, an at-grade alternative, as the project’s Preferred Alternative after looking at comments from a meeting in February 2024 and doing more engineering and environmental research. The agency must also think of a No-Build Alternative. The suggested design incorporates changes to how people get to the site and will need new right-of-way. This will likely cause a number of businesses to move. FDOT also wants to get a de minimis finding under Section 4(f) to make sure that historic and archeological resources are protected.

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While the preferred option is now identified, the project remains in early stages. FDOT’s current five-year work program does not currently have the money it needs to buy land and build things. The agency’s main goal right now is to finish the PD&E process and get feedback from the public before moving on to the next steps.

Residents interested in attending are encouraged to register through the FDOT website at www.nwflroads.com/calendar. Written comments must be postmarked by Dec. 19 to be included in the official project record.

If you have any questions concerning the hearing or the project, you can contact FDOT staff. These include Consultant Project Manager Brandon Bruner, District Three Project Development Manager Sherry Alaghemand, or District Three Public Information Director Ian Satter. You may find more information on the project on the Northwest Florida Roads website.