Santa Rosa County Commissioners will hear details of state plans to build a $2.4 million pedestrian walkover on U.S. 98 in Navarre at its meeting this morning.

The walkover is proposed to be located between Presidio and Luneta streets. It would be intended to help pedestrians cross the busy highway to access Navarre Park and, potentially, Navarre Beach beyond that. The state Transportation Alternatives Program – or TAP – is considering funding the project.

TAP “provides funding for programs and projects defined as transportation alternatives, including on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities,” transportation planner Shawn Ward wrote in a report to the commission.

The walkover idea was originally proposed by former District 4 Commissioner Jim Melvin in 2012. Initially, the state did not fund the project.

“The pedestrian bridge as proposed by Commissioner Melvin was approximately 220 foot span … utilizing a pre-fab box truss type pedestrian bridge with stair towers and elevators on each end,” according to Ward. “Property on the north end will have to be purchased with the south end landing on county property. County staff estimated $15,000 for a warrant study and the total estimated cost was approximately $2.4 million.”

Ward said the Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization and the Florida Department of Transportation need an application and resolution of support from the commission for the project. Once the application and resolution are received, the TPO will rank projects based on adopted criteria. The TPO will submit the priority list to the Department of Transportation for consideration in its five year work program.

Other items on today’s agenda include:
— Discussion of the status of conflict resolution between the county and the City of Gulf Breeze regarding the dispute surrounding the Tiger Point Golf Course.
— An update on Gulf Power’s Florida First Sites Program, a regional site certification program that develops project-ready industrial sites.
— An update on recruitment of a new county administration by the Florida Association of County Managers. Earlier this year, County Administrator Hunter Walker announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31. Walker will have served 20 years.