Mike Goldman, public information officer for the Florida Department of Transportation, attended the Commercial Real Estate Women of Jacksonville luncheon at the Omni recently and provided an update on local road projects, including the S.R. 9A Beltway.
“The best guess estimate as to when the S.R. 9A Beltway will be complete is 2006,” said Goldman. “When it is complete, S.R. 9A and I-295 will be one in the same.”
Goldman said segments of S.R. 9A are being competed as the State acquires the right-of-way.
“Most of you in the land acquisition business know that it is an incredibly cumbersome process for the State to buy property,” he said. “That’s the reason why we see various segments completed the way they are.”
Goldman said the J. Turner Butler Boulevard segment will probably be finished last.
“That’s going to be about a $70 million interchange east of S.R. 9A, where S.R. 9A currently runs into St. Johns Bluff Road,” he said. “But for all practical purposes, when segment six is complete, the segment by University of North Florida, you will be able to make the complete loop around the city.”
Other projects Goldman discussed included:
• The I-295, I-95 and S.R. 9A interchange is a $101 million project. I-295 is being extended by 3,484 feet over I-95 to connect with S.R. 9A, which currently ends at U.S. 1. The project should be complete in 2005.
• S.R. 9A construction between Atlantic and Beach boulevards is a $26.08 million project. About 2.6 miles of highway is being constructed and should be complete in 2004.
• The S.R. 9A construction between Beach and Butler boulevards is a $49 million project. Two miles of highway will be built and should be complete in about two years.
• The S.R. 9A interchange at Butler Boulevard is a $64 million project. The interchange will connect the existing section of S.R. 9A that currently ends at St. Johns Bluff Road with S.R. 9A between Beach and Butler boulevards. Construction bids are expected in April 2004 and it should take about two years to complete.
• The I-95 widening in St. Johns County is a $83.7 million project. I-95 is being widened to six lanes for almost 35 miles from Duval County to Flagler County. The project should be complete in 2004.
• The Jacksonville International Airport Improvement is a $16.6 million project. A new 1.7-mile connector road from the I-295/Duval Road interchange to the JIA terminal and a new entrance overpass to JIA at Airport Road are currently under construction. Both projects should be complete in 2004.
• The I-295/Roosevelt Boulevard and I-295/Blanding Boulevard ramp improvement is a $11.9 million project. Both projects will increase the off ramp capacity at I-295 and Roosevelt and Blanding boulevards. The project at Roosevelt Boulevard should be complete in a few weeks and the Blanding Boulevard project should be complete in late 2004.
• The Riverside Avenue/Forest Street widening is a $9.9 million project. Riverside Avenue is being widened to six lanes from the Acosta Bridge to Forest Street, which will also be widened to six lanes from Riverside Avenue to Park Street. The project should be finished in 2005.
• The I-10/I-95 interchange is a $219 million project. The project involves building a new interchange at I-95 and Forest Street with additional ramps from I-10 and I-95 to the Fuller Warren Bridge. No completion time is available.
• The I-95 interchange at Old St. Augustine Road is a $13 million project. It should be complete by spring.
• The Branan Field/Chaffee Road extension. A project is underway to design and purchase right-of-way to extend Branan Field/Chaffee Road from 103rd Street to I-10. The new road will be built just west of the existing Chaffee Road. Plans call for interchanges at Normandy Boulevard, in the Cecil Field complex, at I-10 and U.S. 90, No construction timetable has been established.
• S.R. 9B will run from I-95 in southern Duval County to SR 9A south of Baymeadows Road. It will have on and off ramps at U.S. 1 just south of Bayard. However, there will be no access from S.R. 9B to Racetrack Road. There are no plans to make I-95 directly accessible from Racetrack Road. S.R. 9B is in the design phase with no construction funds or timetable available.