Crossing Pensacola Beach's busy avenidas are set to become safer. Here's how.
Crossing Pensacola Beach’s busy avenidas are set to become safer. Here’s how.
PNJ Headlines: Here’s what’s in the news Thursday
New plans to light up Pensacola Beach roads, Comfort Systems USA building in Pace, and 4th of July fireworks shows in Thursday’s news
- Escambia County Public Works will install 49 integrated, solar-powered lights between Avenida 11 to Avenida 23 on the east end of Pensacola Beach
- The new lights will be sea turtle friendly, thanks to their yellow hue
- The solar-powered crosswalks project is estimated to cost the county $169,000, of which the SRIA will pick up $75,000
A new infrastructure project on Pensacola Beach is intended to make crossing roadways easier and safer for pedestrians and drivers, particularly at night.
Escambia County Public Works will install 49 integrated, solar-powered lights between Avenida 11 to Avenida 23 on the east end of Pensacola Beach. Avenida 10 and Avenida 15 are already equipped with these lights, so they won’t be included in this project.
Pensacola Beach pedestrians will get an extra layer of protection after the sun sets, as the system will flash a light into the face of drivers to warn them that someone is walking through the intersection.
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The new lights will be sea turtle friendly, thanks to their yellow hue, while providing “functional illumination” for pedestrian areas, pathways and the streetscape.
The solar-powered crosswalks project is estimated to cost the county $169,000, of which the SRIA will pick up $75,000, and will be completed around the middle of August as long as weather-related delays don’t occur, according to county officials.
The upgrades will make the lights more efficient while lowering energy costs for the Santa Rosa Island Authority, since integrated lighting systems with solar capabilities are equipped to store energy generated from the sun inside their batteries to use throughout the night.
SRIA Executive Director Mike Burns told the News Journal that implementing solar-powered lights at crosswalks has been a priority for the SRIA since at least last June because of their efficiency and safety benefits, but there have been conversations about potential upgrades for years.
“I definitely think it’s a huge safety benefit for the beach, to light the crosswalks and be preventive,” Burns said. “I think this is a very proactive thing… just looking forward to making the beach totally safe for our residents and visitors during their time on Pensacola Beach.”