The days of clogged traffic along Northwest Eighth Avenue may end this Fall as roadwork in the area nears its final stages.
By the end of September, the $5.75 million construction project should be complete, but the road will not be suitable for vehicle traffic until November, wrote Chip Skinner, the marketing and communications supervisor for Regional Transit System, in an email.
The road will have three lanes, fewer than the four-lane setup available before construction, said Bob Woods, a City of Gainesville communications and marketing manager.
The city-funded project, which began in November 2015, should span from Northwest Sixth Street to Northwest 41st Street and includes plans to resurface the road, widen sidewalks, build bike lanes and improve drainage infrastructure, Skinner said.
The first two phases of construction are done, and the final phase, which spans between Northwest 23rd Street and Northwest 34th Street, should be completed by the end of September, Skinner said.
Throughout the construction, some residents have taken to the city’s Facebook page to voice disapproval for the lane closures and resulting traffic jams on Northwest Eighth Avenue.
Martin Gomez, a UF student who lives along the avenue, said the project has caused traffic headaches for motorists.
The 21-year-old mechanical engineering senior said he is excited for the road to return to normal.
“It’s really annoying,” he said.
Skinner, however, downplayed the criticism.
“We have received minimal complaints during the construction work,” he said.
