JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Pedestrians, cyclists and roller skaters watched the sun rise for the very first time from the Fuller Warren shared use path Friday.
The nearly one-mile-long walking path beside I-95 now connects Riverside to San Marco. First Coast News roller skated across it Friday and talked with people who say the path was worth the wait.
The pavement is smooth and the path is well-lit, though it is very noise next to the highway. Be prepared for an incline.
There are now three bridges you can walk across in downtown Jacksonville. Without this new path, the trek from Riverside to San Marco is about a mile longer.
From the San Marco side, you can access the path from Palm Avenue or from the sidewalk behind Nemours Children’s Hospital. From the Riverside side, it's right across from Riverside Arts Market.
This project first started in 2017. It's part of the Emerald Trail and updates to the bridge.
"We now have one of the unique amenities in the entire United States to have the beautiful view we have from the shared use path," said Wayne Wood with Riverside Avondale Preservation at the ribbon cutting Thursday. "The shared use path is going to be the greatest connector we've seen in our city in many, many years."
Leaders say the path is all about connectivity.
"The shared use path is not just a bridge between banks," Lauren Carlucci with the San Marco Preservation Society said Thursday. "It connects us as people and symbolizes a way forward for Jacksonville that we can do great things when communities come together for what is best for the whole city."
Special Olympics Athlete Caleb Prewitt cut the ribbon during the event. He is the first person with down syndrome to complete the Gate River Run.
There are plans for a skatepark beside the path on the Riverside side, across from Riverside Arts Market.
