Perdido Key roundabout project approved for Perdido Key Drive, Johnson Beach Road

A planned roundabout for the intersection of Perdido Key Drive and Johnson Beach Road now has funding to move forward.

Escambia County Commissioners unanimously approved funding the new roundabout for $850,000 during their meeting Thursday night.

The funds are coming out of the county's District 2 discretionary fund in the local option sales tax fund. Each commissioners' district has discretionary funds in the county's local option sales tax fund to be used on projects that are a priority for each commissioner.

Perdido Key was redistricted from District 2 to District 1 last year, but District 2 Commissioner Doug Underhill said he had pledged his discretionary funds for the project and was holding to that pledge. Underhill is in his last year in office.

Commission Chairman Jeff Bergosh, who now represents Perdido Key, said he believed the project was needed at the intersection.

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The county held a public meeting in 2020 on improving the intersection, where residents were given the option of a traffic light, roundabout and no change. The majority of residents preferred the roundabout.

Since then, the county has worked to design the roundabout and plans were completed last month.

With the $850,000 in place, the project will go out to bid later this year and once construction begins the project should take about six months to complete, according to the county's website.

Jim Little can be reached at jwlittle@pnj.com and 850-208-9827.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Perdido Key roundabout project funded by Escambia County Commission