Lawmakers To Seek Funding For Elevated Walkway Over Nine Mile Road At Beulah Middle School

August 27, 2021

Local leaders plan to work together to seek funding for a walkway over Nine Mile Road at Beulah Middle School.

Rep. Michelle Salzman, Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh and Escambia County School Board Member Kevin Adams are set to make the official announcement on Monday.

“This will be my main priority, garnering funding for this overpass, as I enter the next legislative session in January,” Salzman said.

They plan to seek funding for the design and construction of the elevated walkway and work for increased pedestrian access and connectivity in the growing community via expanded sidewalk construction on the north and south side of Nine Mile Road near the school.

“I am interested in dramatically expanding the amount of sidewalks in my growing district and will be bringing a plan to do this to this press conference on Monday, including a commitment of up to $500,000 in D1 lost funding to support the effort,” Bergosh said.

Adams added, “I look forward to making this school and this surrounding area a model for safe walking conditions for our students by working closely with my elected counterparts on the county commission and in the state house — together we can make this much better for everyone.”

Comments

27 Responses to “Lawmakers To Seek Funding For Elevated Walkway Over Nine Mile Road At Beulah Middle School”

  1. Carlton on September 2nd, 2021 11:24 am

    The DOT is now in the know.
    The party is over

  2. Norah on September 1st, 2021 6:46 pm

    Build a walkway, Build a Dollar Store, Give these people a raise, Give those people a $1000.00 each. What is going on with these commissioner’s? Failed Transit System, you name it. Sounds like California ! You commissioner’s smile and talk nice when you want to get elected and then you shun us when you’re elected. You don’t care about the Taxpayers at all. I will not vote for my commissioner anymore. I want forget, I call my commissioner “Mr. Dollar Store. My son lives in Mr. Walkways district. Commissioner’s, have you for gotten the families that are struggling to put food on their tables ? What about the Homeless ? We need to elect men and women who know what it’s like to struggle to provide for their families. Someone that knows money does not grow on trees. What does the Escambia County Commissioner’s have for us ? “HIGHER TAXES” !

  3. Daniel on September 1st, 2021 4:24 pm

    @William 2
    You are 100% correct
    I also am at that location Salzman Adam’s and Bergosh are not telling the truth.
    For most, Adam’s says quote “Because of that, the school district pays out of pocket to bus kids to school when the district deems their walking conditions to be hazardous but the state does not.”
    Someone needs to educate Adam’s that YEARLY TAXES ON OUR PROPERTY EACH YEAR PAYS FOR THAT BUS!!!
    The school district dont pay squat…its citizens taxation. Get educated Adams..stop trying to create a false narrative..and try to promote anything.
    It’s out of your paygrade for trying to bait the DOT into this lie.
    Dont blame the DOT ..all 3 of you when they turn you down.
    Shame on you.ALL 3 OF YOU!!!

  4. mtndewey on September 1st, 2021 2:47 pm

    Bergosh, how about pay raises for firefighters?

  5. William 2 on August 31st, 2021 8:28 pm

    I live in the immediate area of the school and have not observed anyone walking from the school to the other side of 9 mile rd, so who is the over pass supposed to be for?

  6. John on August 30th, 2021 8:19 pm

    Somebody needs to check he probably has kinfolk that live in keystone estates

  7. MR REALITY on August 30th, 2021 4:41 pm

    BOONDOOGLE

  8. Dave on August 30th, 2021 11:01 am

    Proof you do not need any gray matter to be in politics.
    Just lies,smoke and mirrors

  9. Howie on August 30th, 2021 7:57 am

    Really, now a walkover! A walkover with clearance above 9 Mile will likely require extensive right of way taken on the North side to build that to meet ADA slope requirements. Where would this walkover be located for termination on the South side with the school so near 9 Mile? This walkover will only be utilized during school times and for sure during good weather. The real issue was FDOT insistence in NOT having a traffic light and cross walk at the entrance to the school. What a waste of money for something that will be used so little by most. Move the entrance and save the money.

  10. Ralph Abagis on August 29th, 2021 8:41 pm

    Comm Bergosh cannot even get the work he SHOULD BE DOING DONE…like getting Beulah between Mobile Hwy and 9 Mile widened before some gets killed……now he wants to spend our tax dollars on a crossover that will get very little use…or does he know someone moving into that lake estates to be built off Beulah Rd behind the new Circle K and is doing this to satisfy them or maybe the owner who sold the property for development…either way it is a bad idea, going to be very expensive to engineer, design and build, we don’t need it, the benefit for the taxpayer is non-exisitent.

  11. PSC on August 29th, 2021 6:41 pm

    yeah right….go ahead and do a few local politicians a favor…OR WHY NOT DO A LOCAL SURVEY TO SEE HOW MUCH IT WILL BE USED,HUH?
    ALWAYS HEARD ITS EASIER TO SPEND SOMEONE-ELSE”S MONEY INSTEAD OF YOUR OWN !!!!A WASTE OF TAX DOLLARS!!! JUST SAYING……….

  12. Dewayne on August 29th, 2021 11:45 am

    Beulah…the 4 lane to no where

  13. David on August 28th, 2021 4:36 pm

    @ Rep. Michelle Salzman

    Are you representing Bergosh and Kevin Adams…2 people and not bother for input from the thousands of residents that have already been pushed enough?

    Yes you are!
    You are the same as the rest.
    Coddling politicians , favors

  14. M in Bratt on August 28th, 2021 3:18 pm

    Many years ago when Davis Hwy. was widened to four lanes, such an overpass was constructed in front of Ferry Pass Elem. for the same purpose as this proposed overpass in Beulah. Since it’s construction, the only use it has seen is kids riding down it on skates, bikes, wagons, or anything else with wheels. If some of our leaders would add it up, it would be certainly cheaper to put a bus stop in that neighborhood to get the kids across the road. But why would our leaders worry about wasting money, it just comes out of the pockets of the taxpayers. There is a very basic rule of government waste; if you don’t spend a bunch of money with contractors and engineering firms, there is nothing available for kickbacks or large campaign contributions.

  15. Stacey on August 27th, 2021 10:58 pm

    I say buy more property behind the school making a new drop off. The way the world is and how unsafe it is for our children not many students will use he walk over to walk anywhere than yo a car.

  16. More waste on August 27th, 2021 4:44 pm

    This is just one more example of the skewed logic our county leaders shove down the pipe every chance they get. Useless to have because 4 kids a day MIGHT use it and the rest of the time the county is paying for maintenance on it too. It’s just about as good of an investment as that “thing” we call a civic center! Please use your votes strongly at the next chance to vote OUT commissioners and school board members!!!

  17. MtnDewey on August 27th, 2021 4:17 pm

    waste of time and money. no one will use it except the residents at Keystone, which is very few. get a crossing guard.

  18. Margielu on August 27th, 2021 3:23 pm

    Child and pedestrian safety must be properly prioritized and addressed. Sidewalks? In Escambia County???? Don’t make me laugh. Nobody uses them because there AREN’T ANY TO SPEAK OF.

    Developers are cramming in subdivisions without adequate walkways and sidewalks, our rights-of-way have poor to nonexistant sidewalks, and all ADA in this county is a pure joke. Half of the access ramps and sidewalks are difficult or impossible to access without damaging your mobility equipment, half the businesses operating in the county have what they call an ADA-compliant restroom the any power chair would never fit theough the doorway much less inside a stall. And more vehicle-vs-wheelchair accidents with severe or fatal results are happening because this is a county glad to collect taxes but not to spend them on adequate access FOR ALL.

    I hve a grandchild at Beulah Elementarty and thank God they ride the bus. I could not imagine if they hd to use a walkway over 5-6 lanes of traffic that exist because the widening was done without appropriate planning for this pre-existing school’s pedestrian walkers and riders that have to cross Nine Mile.

  19. Eric on August 27th, 2021 3:16 pm

    This is a waste of money. Vote them out

  20. Paul on August 27th, 2021 1:17 pm

    Brentwood Elementary School has a tunnel under Palafox.
    Putting a school on a main road without a pedestrian plan is poor planning.
    Having one on a highway like 9mi. is asking for trouble.

  21. Bob West on August 27th, 2021 11:38 am

    The walkover is not as easy as it sounds. The one in Gulf Breeze would never pass ADA rules now. When we looked at one for the beach, the ramps had to be crazy long to get the height clearance over the roadway at an ADA compliant grade…or add an elevator. People here don’t even use sidewalks. So, will the roadway have to be lined with chain link fence to force people to use the overpass.

  22. kane on August 27th, 2021 10:56 am

    Honestly whos idea was it to build a SCHOOL on Nine mile rd. to begin with? I mean there had to be a better place, even building it a bit further back and putting in an access road instead of you know blocking a road that is quickly becoming heavily used.

  23. Paul on August 27th, 2021 9:56 am

    This should have been in the first plan when they decided to build the school on 9mi rd.

  24. Needtoknow on August 27th, 2021 9:06 am

    How tall does the bridge have to be to accommodate large vehicles going underneath such as semi trucks, gulf power, etc. that may travel this road?

  25. Thomas on August 27th, 2021 9:06 am

    I’m curious as to the number of students that will use the walkover. If it is a limited number, would it not be a cost effective alternative to route an existing bus through the nearby neighborhoods close to the start time of school.

  26. JODY on August 27th, 2021 8:55 am

    Building a walkway over Nine Mile Road at Beulah Middle School is a great idea. I hope the plan is approved.

  27. retired on August 27th, 2021 7:46 am

    The school board has the money, build it!!!!!!!!!!!

    they can put up all those fancy led signs in front of the schools whats the differance.