by Jeremy Morrison, Inweekly
Graffiti Bridge — otherwise known as the train trestle crossing over 17th Avenue — is both a cultural icon, as well as a road hazard, opening up big rigs and RVs like so many cans of sardines. The city of Pensacola hopes to limit accidents at the bridge with plans to route larger vehicles away from the area.
“Maybe some people enjoy seeing all those updates on Facebook,” Mayor D.C. Reeves said Tuesday, referencing the familiar bridge-vs.-truck photos that are posted on social media, “but I know it’s difficult on traffic, it’s expensive — you know, we don’t wish that on anybody, to have damage to their moving truck or their RV or anything like that.”
Reeves said during his weekly press conference that the city intends to “formalize” the stretch of 17 Avenue near the trestle as a no-trucks corridor.
“It already was on the northbound side,” Mayor Reeves said, “but it wasn’t on the southbound side. So, we’re going to formalize that no-trucks corridor. You’ll see some additional signage by the end of the week.”
The mayor noted that the move is taking some coordination. While the city has jurisdiction over the north end of 17th Avenue, everything below Graffiti Bridge is a state road.
“There is a complexity to it,” Reeves said.
In addition to formalizing the route’s no-trucks status — which will allow for tickets to be issued to infracting drivers — the city will also be looking at other ways to decrease collisions with Graffiti Bridge. The mayor said that the city could look at installing “something more physical” to warn drivers that their vehicle is too high to approach the bridge.
“Maybe you hit something a little softer before you get to the bridge,” Reeves suggested.
Airport Funding Secured
Pensacola is one step closer to realizing an expansion at its airport. The Florida Department of Transportation has identified $2 million that is to be used for the design of a new concourse at the Pensacola International Airport.
“That’s a great step in the right direction for an airport that is, again, bursting at the seams,” Mayor Reeves said.
Reeves noted how the city had not been able to secure this funding in the previous year, and now that FDOT had designated the funds — to be available in 2026 — design work could commence.
“Our intent is to go ahead and get started on a design,” Reeves said, explaining that the city would be effectively reimbursed when FDOT’s funding became available. “The fact that we landed on this work plan allows us to move forward. So, we don’t have to wait necessarily until fiscal 26 to start the design.”
The city is currently developing a request for design bids and will likely advertise the bid this spring. The new concourse — needed to meet increased passenger and flight counts at the airport — will include five additional gates.
Spring Ribbon Cuttings
Mayor Reeves announced a collection of upcoming ribbon-cuttings — unveilings or re-openings — of city projects this spring. The city’s skatepark, originally slated for a summer opening, will likely be ready by mid-May. Sometime in March, work is expected to wrap up on the day dock marina at Community Maritime Park. And by Memorial Day weekend, it’s hoped that work with be complete on the upgrades at Hunter Pool.