by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Road construction is going on all over Jacksonville and it is affecting everyone in the same way — frustration.
Mike Goldman, public information officer of the Florida Department of Transportation, attended the Commercial Real Estate Women of Jacksonville luncheon at the Omni Hotel recently and gave updates on all the latest road projects in the area as well as the S.R. 9A Beltway and its completion.
“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 and the same.”
Goldman explained that the completion of certain segments connecting S.R. 9A together are not done in successive order, but rather 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. “So, that’s the reason why we see various segments completed the way they are.”
Goldman noted that the only segment project that has been pushed back is Segment 7, the Butler Boulevard segment.
“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.”
The 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 and should be complete in 2005.
• The S.R. 9A construction between Atlantic and Beach Boulevard is a $26.08 million project. About 2.6 miles of new interstate highway is being constructed at this location and should be complete in 2004.
• The S.R. 9A construction between Beach and Butler Boulevard is a $49 million project. Two miles of interstate highway will be built and should be complete in two to two and a half years.
• The S.R. 9A interchange at Butler Boulevard is a $64 million project. This 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 Boulevard. Construction bids will be received in April 2004 and it should take two to two and a half years to complete.
• The I-95 widening in St. Johns County is a $83.7 million project. I-95 is being widened from two to three lanes each way for almost 35 miles from the Duval County line to the Flagler County line. This project should be complete in 2004.
• The Jacksonville International Airport improvements are 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 of these projects will open to traffic 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 capacity of off ramps at I-295 and Roosevelt and Blanding boulevards. The project at Roosevelt Boulevard will be complete soon and the project at Blanding Boulevard should be complete late 2004.
• Riverside Avenue/Forest Street widening is a $9.9 million project. This project involved widening Riverside Avenue from four to six lanes from the Acosta Bridge to Forest Street. Forest Street will also be widened from two to six lanes from Riverside Avenue to Park Street and should be completed in 2005.
• 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 Warrant Bridge. No completion time is available.
• I-95 interchange at Old St. Augustine Road is at $13 million project. It should be complete next spring.
• Branan Field/Chaffee Road extension. A project is underway to design and purchase right-of way to extend Branan Field/Chaffee Road from where it currently ends at 103rd Street to I-10. The new road will be built just west of the existing Chaffee Road. Plans are to put interchanges at Normandy Boulevard, in the Cecil Field complex, at I-10 and U.S. 90, No construction timetable has been established yet.
• S.R. 9B will be an interstate highway leg 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.