Pedestrians and bicyclists will soon have a safer way to travel over the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge on Atlantic Boulevard.
The Florida Department of Transportation will begin installing sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides.
Message boards will go up Friday letting motorists know about the upcoming changes. Crews will begin construction next week.
On Thursday, Action News Jax spotted two bicyclists going over the span.
But bicyclists like Jennifer Enzenbacher said it’s too dangerous to travel over the bridge.
“I would never go over one of the bridges with my bike,” said Enzenbacher.
But she’d consider it if there were bike lanes.
“It gives much more visibility to our pedestrians and our bicyclists out there so it's very important. This is a good safety project,” said FDOT spokeswoman Debbie Delgado.
The westbound side will include a sidewalk and bike lane with a cement barrier separating the two.
But because there’s less room on the eastbound side, pedestrians and bicyclists will share a 10-foot lane.
“There will be signs up, there will be postings on the pavement markings on the road way,” said Delgado.
According to Smart Growth America, a group that advocates for pedestrian friendly cities, Jacksonville is the fourth most dangerous place to walk in the country.
And bicyclists are also at risk, Enzenbacher has experienced impatient drivers first-hand.
“People will whip around, they'll get behind them and honk,” said Enzenbacher.
Many hope this new project will go a long way to helping everyone share the road.
As part of the $2.2 million project, underground fiber optic cable will also be installed. The cable will improve the communications between traffic signals and help with traffic flow.
Cox Media Group
