JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A crash-prone section of San Marco received a $1.8 million safety redesign.
The Florida Department of Transportation completed the improvement project at Hendricks Avenue and San Marco Boulevard that included multiple pedestrian crosswalks, enhanced traffic signals, wider lanes, and new safety measures designed to prevent the accidents that previously plagued the area.
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“Before, walking across the street was choppier,” said Emily Smith, who works in San Marco. “Now you have a pretty strict way of where you’re going and a safe way to cross.”
The safety upgrades also included new traffic surveillance cameras, concrete dividers to prevent illegal U-turns, and improved pavement markings to better guide merging traffic from San Marco Boulevard onto southbound Hendricks Avenue.
The changes took years of planning following a span of residential complaints.
FDOT spokesperson Jacob Pickering said the records of previous crashes at the busy intersection helped secure funding for the nearly $2 million upgrades.
“The number of crashes helps the city, as well as the FDOT, fight for that funding to get that safety project in motion,” Pickering said.
The improvements represent a significant investment in San Marco’s infrastructure and pedestrian safety.