Walton County Makes US 331-SR 20 Intersection Top Funding Priority
The Walton County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously at its August 25 meeting to designate the US 331 and SR 20 intersection in Freeport as the county’s top state and federal infrastructure priority, directing the county’s lobbying team to pursue funding for safety and congestion improvements at the increasingly busy crossroads.
District 1 Commissioner Dan Curry, who represents Freeport on the five-member board, placed the item on the agenda after meeting with the county’s federal lobbyist. Curry told the commission that accelerating development along the US 331 corridor — including new apartment complexes and an anticipated Walmart on a 96-acre parcel south of SR 20 — is already straining the intersection’s capacity. The left-turn lane on northbound US 331 at SR 20 is causing backups and safety concerns, he said, and the problem will only worsen as construction projects come online.
“The board voted to add the request to both the state and federal needs lists,” Curry said, noting that the roadway is state-maintained, which means Walton County cannot fund or build improvements on its own. The county must instead work through its state and federal lobbyists to secure funding through FDOT or federal infrastructure programs.
Commissioner Tony Anderson suggested the intersection also be placed at the top of the county’s state lobbyist priority list, a move Curry welcomed. The board approved both recommendations by general consensus.
The vote elevates the Freeport intersection above all other infrastructure funding requests in Walton County’s legislative pipeline. It comes weeks after the Freeport City Council expressed frustration with FDOT over the pace of turn lane improvements along SR 20 at its August 11 meeting, where council members explored a city-funded workaround for the Jackson Street intersection while waiting on state action. The county’s new prioritization aligns the BCC with the city’s push for faster state investment in Freeport’s road network.
The US 331 and SR 20 intersection is the commercial heart of Freeport, anchored by gas stations, fast-food restaurants, and retail on all four corners. It serves as the primary junction between Freeport’s main north-south artery — connecting the city to I-10 at Exit 85 and to the Gulf beaches south of the bay — and the east-west SR 20 corridor linking Freeport to DeFuniak Springs and Niceville. Traffic volumes have climbed steadily as residential and commercial development has pushed north from South Walton into the Freeport area.
Originally reported by the Walton County Board of County Commissioners and Citizen Portal.
Image: Traffic light at FL20 and US331, Freeport, FL via Wikimedia Commons.
