JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 On Thursday morning, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan and City Council members Jimmy Peluso and Tyrona Clark-Murray performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Stockton Street Bridge.<\/p>\n
The bridge is part of the McCoy\u2019s Creek Restoration Project, an initiative stemming from a partnership between the city of Jacksonville and the nonprofit Groundwork Jacksonville that aims to maintain the creek, restore wildlife, and limit flooding.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe this creek corridor should be a destination, not just a drainage ditch, but a place where people want together,\u201d Deegan said. \u201cWe want it to be a place where people walk and bike and where they can connect to the Emerald Trail and to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
City officials say that the bridge is wider and elevated, so it won\u2019t block the flow of the creek when the water is rising \u2014 something Deegan said was a major concern for local residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re gonna save a lot of lives, we\u2019re gonna save a lot of property, and we\u2019re also creating a more ecologically friendly environment,\u201d Peluso said.<\/p>\n
Deegan said that $105,000,000 was poured into the Stockton Street Bridge, making it one of the most significant infrastructure investments in Jacksonville\u2019s history. It\u2019s equipped with bike lanes and sidewalks, connecting District 7 and District 9 \u2014 figuratively and literally.<\/p>\n
Peluso says that the walkability of the bridge provides a new layer of accessibility to the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re gonna now connect your downtown with these communities and these neighborhoods in a way we haven\u2019t seen in years,\u201d Peluso said. \u201cTo be able to get to different parts of our city without having to buy a car or get on a bus \u2014 that\u2019s gonna be huge, that\u2019s real accessibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
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