by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Large trucks and an army of orange-vested workers will soon be swarming downtown.
As part of the Better Jacksonville Plan, all streets that have not been resurfaced since 1985 will receive attention. Starting next week, resurfacing will begin near the intersection of Beaver and Ashley streets.
“There’s not as many businesses and residences in that area,” said Lisa Rowe of the Better Jacksonville Plan. “It’s not traveled as much. Plus, that will give us an idea of how to perfect our system before we get into the heart of the city.”
Whether a single block or multiple sections will be resurfaced concurrently in any one area will be determined by the condition of the street, including factors such as the prevalence of manholes and damaged curbs.
“Every area is different,” said Rowe. “They’re going to look at every piece and if it makes sense to do three blocks at a time, that’s something we’ll have to evaluate depending on the different needs of each segment. Everything will be customized.”
According to Rowe, coordination is the key for making the project a success. For instance, JEA will install chilled water lines during the project.
“We are coordinating very closely with JEA to make sure any infrastructure improvements they need to make underneath the roadways are completed prior to resurfacing,” she said.
Any streets where ongoing construction is taking place will be last on the resurfacing list. Those sites include the new county courthouse and the main library. Work on the streets surrounding those sites will be postponed until the projects are complete. Others involved in the project include the Florida Department of Transportation, the Public Works Department, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Greyhound Bus Lines and Downtown Vision, Inc.
Letters to downtown property owners and residents were mailed Thursday to advise those most affected what to expect. Each area slated for resurfacing will take roughly two days to complete and will follow a four-step process. Milling, the act of grinding the top layer of the asphalt, is the first step. From initial evaluations, most downtown streets require milling or the removal of a portion of the existing pavement. Next, an asphalt overlay will be applied, one lane at a time.
“One lane will be open at all times,” said Rowe. “It would be a rare circumstance to close an entire street.”
Clean-up is the third step and should take place within 24 hours of paving. Temporary markings will be added until the Traffic Engineering Division can lay permanent striping, the last step of the resurfacing.
“Usually in January, there are not as many activities downtown,” said Rowe of why the resurfacing was happening now. “With the downtown festival coming up, we want everything to look wonderful.”
All work is scheduled for night hours — 7 p.m-4 a.m. — and is scheduled to be compete by the end of March. Daily updates and paving schedules will be posted on the Better Jacksonville website, www.betterjax.com. Vehicles cannot be parked on the street in work areas or they will be towed. Meters will be bagged as a reminder to commuters.