SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Neighbors living near the construction of the Pershing Drive Bikeway Project, stretching from North Park to Bankers Hill, may soon find reprieve. SANDAG says the project, which has been going on for nearly two years, is on track to finish on time over the next few months.
The bikeway project is 2.3 miles long, and it's designed to convert a four-way expressway into a parkway. The project installs a two-way bikeway from North Park, through Balboa Park, into Downtown.
But until that's done, there's just one lane of traffic going down the hill and nothing going up it.
"This is ridiculous. I'm 55 years old now and I've never seen a project like this go this long in my life," North Park resident Brent Jackman said.
According to SANDAG, the work will wrap up this spring. That's on schedule with what was originally announced.
Jackman and some neighbors have been upset about the traffic the project created.
Going the posted speed, 10News tracked how long it took to drive around the project on the detour, from the start in Golden Hill to the top in North Park. It took four minutes and three seconds.
Driving through the project down Pershing Drive, which has reduced speeds because of the work zone, took two minutes and 37 seconds. However, the experiment happened around lunchtime, not during the rush hour residents dread.
"From the time you get off the freeway to about here (in North Park), you'll be a good half hour," Jackman says.
Jackman worries when the project is done that the elimination of a vehicle lane on each side will lead to continued traffic in the area.
"I think it's a joke," he added.
But SANDAG says it's part of its vision to improve mobility safety in the area.
"When it's done, it's going to be one of our best projects," Chris Kluth with SANDAG says. "It's really going to be a crown jewel for our bikeway network and really a big improvement for Balboa Park as well."
