The first section of the new overpass on Southwest 13th Street was installed Monday around noon.
Construction on the overpass, located south of Archer Road near the 900 block of Southwest 13th Street, began in March.
It will be completed this fall, said Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency Interim Director Kelly Huard Fisher.
The overpass was once a railroad bridge that was part of the Depot Avenue Rail Trail, but now it is a pedestrian and bicycle path.
Project Manager Diane Gilreath said the rail trail will be closed during construction.
Southwest 13th Street will not be closed, but it may have single-lane closures, Fisher said.
The new overpass is designed to pay homage to Gainesville’s past and future, she said. The design features a railroad track in the form of a double helix, or DNA strand.
“Gainesville was founded on railroad commerce,” Fisher said. She said the track will twist to a double helix to represent biotechnology and research.
The agency held a competition for the design of the new overpass. The winning design was created by a team of engineers and landscape architects from Reynolds, Smith and Hills Inc., according to a press release.
At least three more sections need to be installed before the overpass is completed.
“They are manufactured off-site and can be erected fairly quickly,” Fisher said.
The project is being funded by the redevelopment agency’s College Park/University Heights Redevelopment area and is budgeted for $999,000.
The project also features a stairway connecting 13th Street to the rail trail, according to the Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency website.
This is one project in a series of initiatives, which include brick sidewalks, new lighting fixtures and improved connectivity between UF, Innovation Square and downtown.
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
