A safer environment for pedestrians and motorists is the goal of a road project at the intersection of Post Street and McDuff Avenue, and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) plans to have it by Labor Day weekend.
The intersection is a triangle bordered by Post Street, McDuff Avenue and Old Roosevelt Boulevard, located between Murray Hill and Riverside. This area was closed by FDOT on June 2 for construction to begin. St. Augustine-based Watson Civil Construction was awarded the $6.5 million contract for the project.
“The main goal is to improve safety at that intersection,” said Jacob Pickering, FDOT public information officer. “We are excited about the installation of pedestrian rail gate skirts that won’t allow people to cross the tracks when a train is near.”
Railway improvements will also include decreased gate lengths and camera detection with audible sound devices to alert pedestrians to oncoming trains.
The railway will also benefit from the intersection modification at Post Street and Old Roosevelt Boulevard, which will feature an elongated roundabout that will cut the number of lanes crossing the railroad tracks from seven to two. This design works to eliminate the possibility of vehicles getting caught inside the intersection and on the tracks. The traffic feature is expected to reduce fatal/injury crashes by 78% in that area, according to FDOT.
The roundabout will also remove three traffic signals at the intersection, allowing for free flow of traffic and reducing travel time.
Along the outskirts of the roundabout, pedestrians will have more protection through the construction of crossing islands and rapid flashing beacons that will alert motorists to movement in the crosswalks.
The redesign of the intersection will be constructed in tandem with the resurfacing of the roads involved in the project. The section of road receiving improvements include McDuff Avenue from College Street to Forbes Street; Post Street from McDuff to Willow Branch avenues and Roosevelt Boulevard from Post Street to
just beyond McDuff Avenue.
