After 14 years, a long-held dream is finally becoming a path paved. The Palm Valley Community Association (PVCA) is pleased to announce the start of construction to complete the long-awaited final section of the Palm Valley Road sidewalk.
The project runs along the western side of Palm Valley Road and includes water drainage improvements and a new sidewalk segment connecting Canal Boulevard to State Road A1A. Construction is expected to take approximately four months.
Palm Valley Road was never friendly. With only 24 feet of pavement, no paved shoulders and drainage ditches lining most of its length, walking along the roadside was not just inconvenient — it was genuinely dangerous. The sidewalk that did exist consisted of scattered, disconnected segments, making it less useful for anyone trying to get somewhere safely on foot.
That’s a problem that residents have long observed. In biennial online surveys, the PVCA consistently identifies growth management and road safety as the two main concerns impacting the community's quality of life.
The effort began in 2012, when community members raised concerns about rising traffic and the lack of safe walking options along Palm Valley Road.
“At the time, the west-side sidewalk ended at Landrum, with some sections of sidewalk on the east side in front of new development and on the west side near older neighborhoods," said PVCA President Greg Leonard. “As an organization dedicated to improving our community, the PVCA led the effort to enhance pedestrian and road safety.
It takes a certain kind of community commitment to stay the course on a 14-year infrastructure project — and the PVCA delivered.
“The PVCA could not have had a better partner in this effort than the team led by Director of Public Works Greg Caldwell,” said Jayne Evans, PVCA VP and Sidewalk Project Chair. “Our District 4 commissioner, Krista Joseph, stayed in close contact, and over the years, all the county commissioners and county administrators were supportive.”
“When residents are dedicated to their communities and willing to understand how long projects take — and remain committed — we’re all better off for their efforts,” said Joseph, “and I love seeing people out walking and running as a family, with their dogs.”
When the final section opens, residents will have a continuous, connected walkway from the Palm Valley Bridge to Ponte Vedra Beach and beyond. Additionally, the new sidewalk will create a walkable loop starting at the Mickler roundabout, extending to the State Road A1A merge, then south back to the Palm Valley Road and Mickler Road roundabout, and returning to the bridge. In Palm Valley, residents will enjoy a continuous, connected walkway from the Palm Valley Bridge to the Post Office, several shopping centers, multiple businesses, including the PGA TOUR, numerous neighborhoods, five schools, two churches, the senior center and the YMCA.
In other words: a real alternative to getting in the car for every errand or going to work, and a genuinely safer community for everyone who walks, runs or rolls through Palm Valley.
To mark the occasion, the PVCA is planning a community celebration walk once construction is complete.
The Palm Valley Community Association, established in 1948, is one of the oldest continuously operating community associations in North Florida. The PVCA works to represent the common interests and shared views of all members in the greater Northeastern St. Johns County area.
