Long-envisioned Navarre Community Access Road concept moves forward with study
The Navarre Community Access Road, long envisioned as a South Santa Rosa cross town connector and alternate route with which to keep local traffic off of US Highway 98, has inched a little closer toward becoming a reality.
Santa Rosa County Commissioners voted with little fanfare last month to approve awarding a contract to Volkert Inc. to conduct the Project Development and Engineering study needed to move the proposal forward and retain the Florida Department of Transportation as a partner in the project.
It is anticipated the PD&E study will take about two years to complete.
"Even if everything went well, we're probably still four or five years away from seeing anything," said County Commission Chairman Colten Wright. "That's unfortunate, because we can use it now."
In 2019, a feasibility study was conducted to see if a connector road running east to west north of US. Highway 98 and south of Navy Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Holley at Whiting Naval Air Station could divert local traffic from US 98 and "better accommodate daily commuter and multimodal traffic."
Volkert, which also conducted the feasibility study, came up with two possible connector road alternatives for the county's consideration.
The first option would carry traffic from Deer Lane in the east, along High School Boulevard, across State Road 87 with a southward jag to Nevada Street and Leisure Street to its western end at Edgewood Drive.
The second option would start in the east at Sunset Drive, make its way along Broadmoor Street, also cross SR 87 and wind up at Edgewood Drive.
In either case, Wright said, "I don't think it will ever by 98 Part Two."
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Were the local accessway to be developed as called for in the feasibility study, sidewalks and other pedestrian and cyclist amenities would be created that would, among other things, provide safer access to Navarre High School and Navarre Primary School, which are both in the zone studied.
The study found that when US 98 is congested, traffic diverts off that road to the access roads, and during the five-year time period leading up to the feasibility study's publishing, 14 vehicle crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists had occurred in the area, with three of those proving fatal.
At the Santa Rosa County Commission's Committee of the Whole meeting held Aug. 21, commissioners briefly discussed the Navarre Community Access Road with Commissioner Sam Parker taking the floor to commend fellow Commissioner Ray Eddington on his efforts to keep the connector road a county priority.
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Parker credited former Commissioner Rob Williamson, who served on the board from 2014-18, with pushing the idea of the Navarre Community Access Road during his term, and recalled the criticism Williamson had been subjected to for doing so.
He said the concept of the connector road had "hit a stall point" and he was happy to see the project brought back to life.
"I'm really excited to see this being brought forward," he said. "I know you will take criticism, you'll face it, but from a policy standpoint I will walk arm and arm with you and walk hand in hand moving forward with alleviating traffic issues."
Eddington, who at the Aug. 21 meeting said of the Navarre Community Access Road, "we've got to have it," we've got to get some of this traffic off 98," on Monday acknowledged having received some emails from residents questioning the project, which could impact the sprawling Holley By the Sea residential area, and said he would adopt a wait and see attitude until he can weigh what FDOT comes up with.
"I want to hear from both sides, FDOT and the people," he said.
As of Monday, FDOT had no official information about a PD&E study being sanctioned, according to spokesman Ian Satter.
Wright, the commission chairman, cautioned against taking a firm stance either for or against the project before the results of the PD&E study are published and FDOT holds public meetings to discuss its findings.
"There are all kinds of things that could change," he said.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Santa Rosa cross town connector could alleviate Navarre traffic woes
