On Monday, January 8, 2024, the Alabama Department of Transportation announced changes that will improve traffic and pedestrian movements on the campus of Jacksonville State University and the square in downtown Jacksonville.
Some of the on-campus changes being planned are an extensive amount of new sidewalk added along State Route 204, as well as the addition of a small median with a “buffer zone” for pedestrians crossing State Route 21.
The square in downtown Jacksonville will also see the modification of existing pedestrian crosswalks to provide better lines of sight for both pedestrians and motorists. It anticipates construction of a raised separation between traffic on SR-21 and the parking in front of the businesses on the square.
The announcement comes as a result of a year-long planning process that included ALDOT, Jacksonville State University, and City of Jacksonville officials. The overall goal of the projects is to provide safer pedestrian movements and to handle growing traffic volumes safely and efficiently. ALDOT plans to conduct a public involvement meeting February 15 at 4:00pm to gather public input on the proposed changes. The meeting will be held at the City of Jacksonville’s Public Safety Complex.
The current cost estimate for all improvements is approximately $3 million. A portion of the work on campus will be funded by an ALDOT Transportation Alternative Program grant, with the University and City of Jacksonville jointly providing the $200 thousand match to leverage $800 thousand in federal funding. All additional funding is to be provided by ALDOT.
