Nassau County plans to seek $11.68 million in federal funding for the first phase of its County Road 108 extension project in Yulee.
The Board of County Commissioners voted 5-0 in support of a grant proposal June 22.
According to a staff memo, the improvement would ease traffic on State Road 200 by providing an alternative route for the approximately 2,500 Nassau County residents commuting to and from Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in St. Marys, Georgia, including when all personnel are ordered off or onto the base.
State Road 200 is also the primary evacuation route north when hurricane impacts are imminent. The memo says Nassau County has focused on improving mobility by developing alternative east-west corridors intended to support safer and faster evacuation during emergencies.
The 2,500 commuters are part of a base population of about 7,500 military, civilian and contractor personnel, according to Military OneSource, the U.S. Department of Defense information service.
The proposal will be submitted through the federal Defense Community Infrastructure Program, which funds infrastructure improvements that enhance military family quality of life and mission readiness in communities near military installations.
Congress appropriated $230 million for the fiscal year 2026 program through the Consolidated Appropriations Act and other federal appropriations legislation.
If approved, a grant would fund a nearly one-mile extension of the two-lane 108 corridor from U.S. 17 east to McQueen Creek.
Nassau County’s proposal deadline is June 25, with submissions scored on criteria including construction readiness and a needs-based assessment. If ranked by the Defense Community Infrastructure Program Review Panel, the county would be invited to submit a formal grant application “on or about” Aug. 11, with awards finalized before Sept. 28.
The county says that because the project is within a rural area with a population under 100,000, it is not required to provide a local cost-share contribution. Under the program rules, the federal grant would cover 100% of calculated construction costs, with the county assuming responsibility for any future overruns and maintenance.
W.M. Dull, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay commanding officer, signed a letter of support for the proposal June 11, calling the project vital to the installation’s operational readiness and the safety of military and civilian personnel supporting national security missions.
Dull noted that a significant portion of the base’s workforce lives in Yulee, Fernandina Beach and the Wildlight development. The extension, he said, would establish a primary corridor to the base while improving daily commutes for service members and their families.
Dull also cited the road’s importance during emergencies. The extension would improve evacuation capacity for both base personnel and the broader Nassau County community, and would support rapid post-storm recovery, emergency vehicle access and base reconstitution efforts.
Phase one addresses several documented issues along the County Road 108 and U.S. 17 corridor. According to the application, the existing angled intersection at U.S. 17 can make it difficult for drivers to see oncoming traffic and complete turns safely. Realigning it as a standard perpendicular intersection is intended to improve safety and simplify traffic movements.
The project also relocates an active CSX railroad crossing east of the intersection and adds a railroad preemption system to coordinate train activity with the traffic signal. The application says the change would separate rail and roadway conflicts, improving traffic flow for commuters and emergency responders.
According to the memo, the extension will also establish the basic transportation and shared stormwater infrastructure required to build a school site along U.S. 17.
Jacksonville-based landowner and developer Rayonier owns the project site, which is part of the 24,000-acre East Nassau County Planning Area sector plan that was adopted in 2011. The county has secured a signed agreement with Rayonier to cede the necessary right-of-way if funding is awarded and has a right-of-entry agreement allowing immediate access for design and field crews.
The county’s schedule shows design work and National Environmental Policy Act permitting began in April. Construction documents are expected to be finalized between June and December 2027, with roadway construction projected from June 2028 through May 2030.
The project cost estimates, calculated using the Florida Department of Transportation’s October 2025 cost-per-mile model, include $940,000 for 1,000 linear feet of two-lane roadway; $4.48 million for 4,000 linear feet of three-lane roadway; $1.2 million for auxiliary turn lanes along U.S. 17; $1 million for the intersection’s mast-arm signals and lighting; $1 million to relocate the CSX railroad crossing; $1 million for railroad signal preemption; $350,000 for a 6-foot sidewalk on one side; $650,000 for a 10-foot shared-use path on one side; and $1.06 million in built-in project contingencies.
Tidewater Engineering is listed as the project’s civil engineer, and Nassau County Department of Capital Projects Senior Project Manager Scott Pedigo is designated as the grant project director.
Phase one of the County Road 108 project would lay the groundwork for a corridor connection reaching Crandall Road, Riverbluff Parkway and ultimately Chester Road. At full build-out the extension is planned to be approximately 7 miles.