Crestview bypass opens

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The Enzor Road/Southwest Crestview Bypass looking south near Fallen Heroes Way/East-West Connector.

CRESTVIEW, Fla., May 2, 2026—Two additional sections of roadway designed to provide north county traffic congestion relief opened yesterday.

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, both the much-awaited Crestview Southwest Bypass and the East-West Connector opened for public use.

Related: “Southwest Crestview Bypass to open May 1”

The 3.5-mile bypass, named Enzor Road, runs north and south between U.S. Highway 90 and the formerly named Arena Road. It will eventually run under the future Interstate 10 Exit 53 interchange before connecting to P.J. Adams Parkway. The Florida Department of Transportation’s timeline for interchange completion is mid-2027.

For now, the new bypass ends at the intersection of Arena Road—now named Valiant Way—that connects to Antioch Road.

Fallen Heroes Way/East-West Connector looking west. The 10-foot multi-use path runs along the north side of the roadway.

The 2.5-mile East-West Connector, named Fallen Heroes Way, joins Ferdon Road at the new intersection at the Aldi/Chili’s/Marshall’s shopping center with the bypass. A 10-foot-wide multi-use path runs along the north side of the roadway.

The speed limit on the connector is 40 mph while the majority of the bypass is 55 mph.

Driving south on Enzor Road from the Bethel Road/Hwy 90 intersection, the speed limit is 45 mph on the north end until crossing the railroad bridge where the limit increases to 55 mph. It drops again just before reaching Valiant Way on the south end.

Jason Autrey addresses the crowd during the ribbon-cutting ceremony May 1. (Nick Tomecek)

According to Okaloosa’s deputy county administrator of development services, Jason Autrey, this traffic congestion relief project was two decades in the making.

“I’ve been a part of this project for literally two decades since this started,” he said during Friday’s ceremony for the road opening.

Construction of all county phases of the bypass, including P.J. Adams, is estimated at $212 million. Funding comes from a number of sources—city, county, state and federal. But it wasn’t until 2018 after the citizens of Okaloosa County passed the half-cent surtax for infrastructure that the bypass started to become a reality.

“That was the piece that sent the whole domino into effect,” said Autrey. “As soon as that was approved, we got the grant award from Triumph Gulf Coast—$64.1 million.”

Completion of the southwest bypass is just a part of several phases to improve traffic around and through Crestview.

Related: “Bypass construction begins on PJ Adams Monday”

The first was the 2019 construction project to widen P.J. Adams Parkway, most of which is open except for the turn to the north that will run under the interstate interchange and connect to Enzor Road, the final phase.

Statistics

  • 3.5 miles of four-land roadway with sidewalks on each side of the road
  • 2.5 miles of east-west connection from Antioch Road to State Road 85 with a 10-foot wide multiuse pathway
  • 1,713.43-foot railroad overpass bridge is 1/3 of a mile long
  • 833, 499 cubic yards of dirt excavation
  • 23,639 tons of asphalt
  • Enzor Road from U.S. 90 to the I-10 interchange
  • Valiant Way (formerly Arena Road) from Antioch Road to Enzor Road
  • Fallen Heroes Way from SR 85 to Enzor Road

How to access the Southwest Crestview Bypass: https://www.facebook.com/reel/954374517514403

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