Construction has started on the Timucuan Trail-Fort Caroline Connector.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Not everyone living along Fort Caroline Road near the national monument are happy about the new walking and biking path being installed along the road. 

Construction started this week on the Timucuan Trail-Fort Caroline Connector. It is part of the Timucuan Trail Segment C, which will connect the Fort Caroline area to Mayport, and the Timucuan Trail across the St. Johns River.



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Effie Quintana and her family have lived along Fort Caroline Rd. for decades.

“When you come back here, it’s almost like you don’t feel like you’re in Jacksonville anymore… It’s just a beautiful place that feels disconnected from the hustle and bustle,” Quintana said.

Quintana said she was surprised to find construction stakes going through her yard.

“I didn’t really understand the extent of the project,” Quintana said.

Those stakes now line the road to mark where the Timucuan Trail-Fort Caroline Connector will be going. The plan is to put in a 12-foot-wide multi-use path along from the intersection with Mt. Pleasant Rd. to just in front of the Spanish Battery. 

Quintana said she had no idea the path would be cutting right through her front yard.

“It’s going to be a huge blow to our normal day-to-day lives. My kids come out here and play a lot, and now all of a sudden it’s going to be our privacy is being invaded,” Quintana said.

Stephanie Meyer also lives along Fort Caroline Rd. She said she and her husband moved to the neighborhood for the seclusion and the beautiful tree canopy. 

Meyer said a city employee gave her a letter last week letting residents know work that construction was about to start. She told First Coast News her biggest concern is the destruction of the neighborhood’s trees.

“I feel sick to my stomach because to me, trees are not big weeds,” Meyer said.

Her neighbor Kerry Fine shares that same fear.

“I don’t like to see the trees get chopped down because that’s one reason I like this area so much. I’d rather the trees remain,” Fine explained.

Many of the trees along the road are tagged with ribbons, while others have already been cut down and cleared away.

The work is being done in Jacksonville City Councilman Mike Gay’s district. He confirmed they are going to try to save as many trees as possible and even build the path around some of the larger, older trees.

Gay said the project was first discussed in 2020 as a partnership between the city, state, and National Park Service. He also confirmed that while the new path will cut through people’s front yards, the work is being done in the right-of-way and not on private property.

Still, Quintana said she is worried this new trail will destroy the neighborhood’s history and charm.

“I feel like when they cut all these trees down, they’re completely changing our neighborhood,” Quintana said.

Construction of the path is expected to be finished by this winter.