Graffiti Bridge Getting Safe Pedestrian Path and Truck Detection System — $1.58 Million Contract Approved

Pensacola, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- After nearly a decade of discussions, the Pensacola City Council voted unanimously this week to move forward on long-awaited improvements to the Wayside Park area at 17th Avenue — including the first safe pedestrian walkway under Graffiti Bridge and an overhead height detection system designed to stop the recurring truck strikes that have made the bridge a social media fixture.

The $1.58 million contract was awarded to Loftus Marine LLC of Pensacola, the lowest responsible bidder. The project covers a range of improvements on the north end of Wayside Park, from the boat launch area to just north of the graffiti bridge.

The centerpiece of the project is a new pedestrian and bicycle path that will run through the parking lot, pass safely underneath the railroad trestle, and loop back around on a new boardwalk. The existing boardwalk on the north side of the fence is in poor condition and will be demolished as part of the project. The existing dock and gazebo will also be removed.

An overhead height detection system will be installed to alert drivers of overheight vehicles before they reach the bridge — addressing one of the most persistent infrastructure headaches in the area. The Graffiti Bridge Facebook page, which documents truck strikes on the bridge, has become a go-to source for local traffic updates. Mayor Reeves said Wednesday he hopes the page will have fewer incidents to report once the system is in place.

The parking lot, which sits on asphalt over dirt with no structural base underneath, will also be fully repaired.

The project is partly funded through the reallocation of $393,464 in ARPA funds that had been set aside for the now-dead Davis Highway and MLK Boulevard two-way conversion project. FDOT pulled support for that conversion earlier this year, leaving the ARPA dollars without a project and facing a year-end federal spending deadline.

Councilman Jared Moore, who said his very first town hall after being elected in 2018 was focused on Graffiti Bridge solutions, called the vote a sentimental moment. Mayor Reeves noted the pedestrian path discussion dates back even further — to a previous attempt during the Hayward administration that was ultimately shut down by CSX on financial grounds.

Construction is expected to begin following contract execution. The southern portion of Wayside Park, which has faced ongoing seawall issues since Hurricane Sally, is not included in this project and remains without a funding path. That section is also expected to become a laydown yard for Escambia County during the fishing bridge reconstruction.