Developer offers funding help for pedestrian bridge at busy I-Drive intersection

Developer offers funding help for I-Drive pedestrian bridge

A long-planned pedestrian walkway at one of Florida’s most dangerous intersections may be a step closer to reality after a local developer offered to help pay for it.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A long-planned pedestrian walkway at one of Florida’s most dangerous intersections may be a step closer to reality after a local developer offered to help pay for it.

The backstory:

Joshua Wallack, who operates Mango’s Tropical Café and other venues along International Drive, said he is entering a partnership with Orange County to move forward with the bridge project at International Drive and Sand Lake Road. The crossing has been on planning documents for more than a decade.

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A rendering shows the bridge would link all four corners of the intersection, a busy gateway to the I-Drive tourism district. County crash data shows 661 collisions occurred in the area between 2017 and 2022.

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"Functionality is the most important thing to us, which is safety and infrastructure and getting people up and walking," Wallack said. "We want thousands and thousands of people walking around I-Drive and enjoying our entertainment district."

There is no construction timeline yet, but Wallack said he is prepared to contribute financially once the project is ready to begin.