DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Walton County Commissioners learned Monday they’re going to receive a check from the state for $50 million.
And they didn’t even have to buy a lottery ticket.
DOT District 3 Secretary Tommy Barfield showed up at the commission meeting bearing the good news.
He told commissioners bids to expand the U.S. Highway 331 bridge to four lanes had come in at around $118 million, or about $57 million lower than had been projected.
“So DOT is going to cut the county a check for a $50 million rebate,” said Walton County spokesman Louis Svehla.
In essence, Walton County will have to pay only $25 million instead of the $75 million it had pledged to raise through a sales tax increase.
A design is not yet in place for the expansion, whether that will involve widening the current bridge or — more likely — building a twin two-lane bridge.
Barfield told the county FDOT will hold $7 million of its money back to cover any cost overruns or other unforeseen costs for the project.
Funding for the necessary improvements to Walton County’s single major north-south throughway had been a source of much discussion in recent years.
FDOT offered in 2012 to put $102 million toward the cost of expanding the bridge spanning Choctawhatchee Bay if the county would come up with another $75 million.
In May of that year, voters agreed to implement a half-cent sales tax to cover the county’s share.
Walton has already incurred the $75 million in debt but now will be able to pay back $50 million of it in one fell swoop.
County officials can roll back the sales hike when the final $25 million is paid, said County Commissioner Sara Comander.
“I envision that we can get this paid off in five years,” said Comander, who said she’d been working since 1995 to secure funding for a U.S. 331 bridge expansion.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Tom McLaughlin at 850-315-4435 or tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMnwfdn.