Southbank Riverwalk work moving right along

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Significant progress has been made in the construction of the Southbank Riverwalk, which is set to be complete in February.

The Riverwalk is much different than it was before. It now has concrete pavers instead of the unsightly wood that people often would trip over. There are now sturdy rails, as well as sails that will be lit up.

For years, the structure built in the 1980s was neglected and falling apart. It was a major hazard for most people who frequented it. But that's not so anymore.

Project manager Will Inman said since workers began construction, it's been moving along smoothly.

"You're not going to see nails in the wood," Inman said. "There are no trip hazards. Your handrails are (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. There's a floating dock for the public, and it's a really neat project."

The Riverwalk will run from Friendship Fountain to the Duval County School Board building. It's costing $17 million, and for now it's staying on budget.

"It's been a great project," Inman said. "We recently got done with the pile construction ... and that was a risky part of the construction, but it went real well. No issues with that. As you can see, we're doing a lot of the concrete on top of the piles at this point."

The new Riverwalk will mean some changes on the Southbank.

"For the city, it means we can have more people on the Riverwalk," said Pam Roman, of the city's Parks Department. "It's much safer, a lot less maintenance. But the ideas -- we can bring more walkers, we can bring more bikers, more events to happen downtown. The water taxi is going to have better access."


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Jim Piggott is the reporter to count on when it comes to city government and how it will affect the community.