The Florida Department of Transportation is planning to expand the Ochlockonee Bay Bridge to include a shared-use trail connecting the two counties it spans.WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW: Ochlockonee Bay Bridge expansion would add sha red-use trail connecting Franklin and Wakulla countiesThe trail would connect Alligator Drive in Franklin County to Surf Road and Mashes Sands Road in Wakulla County, adding a 10- to 12-foot path along the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists to cross without a vehicle.Neighbor Paxton George said the trails are already a key part of life along the coast."I think it's a pretty integral part of the experience of being down here on the coast and tourists and locals alike, we utilize these trails daily to exercise, to just sight see. So it would be a great addition," George said.George also pointed to the safety benefits of separating trail users from vehicle traffic."Separation saves lives. The shoulder isn't really enough for bikers and pedestrians alike, so I think it would just allow a safer route for people to cross and get to the other side of the bridge," George said.Neighbor Joshua Keith echoed those safety concerns, noting that cyclists already use the bridge route regularly."There's a lot of bicyclists that actually take the path of this bridge along to Alligator Point. So a lot of the bicyclists are on the road and, you know, some people do give caution to those bicyclists, but there's a lot of people who do not," Keith said.Keith also spoke to the broader value of the bridge as a connector between communities."Bridges and how they connect people and land structures, and you just got to imagine if there wasn't a bridge here how much different the community would be," Keith said.The project is part of FDOT's Shared-Use Non-Motorized Trail Program, established in 2015. The program focuses on developing a safe, statewide system of interconnected, multi-use trails for pedestrians and cyclists.A public meeting for the trail project will be held on Aug. 20 at the Panacea Community Center and online at 5:30 p.m.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.Like us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less