VERO BEACH — The Florida Department of Transportation is performing work on the 17th Street Bridge in Vero Beach to improve cycling and pedestrian safety following a fatal crash this fall.
Officials have determined it best to narrow the bike lane to accommodate a 20-inch buffer between cyclists and motorists.
The work will require one lane in each direction to be closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Monday and Tuesday. Drivers are encouraged to find alternative routes to avoid the bridge work until it is complete.
Other improvements include adding bike lane signs and inverted audible profile markings – the reflective pavement markers that are raised and alert drivers when they’re driving over them.
Currently, there are portions of lane striping that are faded or gone, according to a report released by the FDOT. Those stripes will be repainted as part of the project.
New speed limit signs, too, will be installed. The current, 45 m.p.h. limit, will remain the same.
FDOT is also going to consider improvements to the lighting along the bridge, the report states.
