by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Several roadway changes are in the works in Nassau County according Mike Mahaney, the Nassau County administrator who spoke at the Amelia Island/Nassau County Association of Realtor luncheon at Walker’s Landing in Amelia Island Plantation last month.
Roundabouts were installed in several areas of the island to help ease congestion and improve safety and now there are two more planned, one at Amelia Island Parkway and 14th Street and the other at the blinking light at SR A1A and Fletcher Ave.
Realtors seemed excited to hear this news.
“We learned from the roundabouts at Sadler Road and the two at the Plantation that they allow traffic to flow at a better pace,” said Dee Chaplin of Prudential Chaplin Williams Realty and president of the Amelia Island/Nassau County Association of Realtors. “Traffic has picked up on the island and, at peak times, the roundabouts keep things flowing at a steady pace. The proposed roundabouts would no doubt accomplish the same positive results.”
All in all, there are $85 million of road improvements to be voted on next month by the First Coast Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Other improvements include lighting maintenance, sidewalk addition from 14th Street to Fletcher Avenue, resurfacing of roads and bike paths planned along 14th Street from Amelia Island Parkway to Sadler Road and from Lewis Street to Phillip Manor Drive.
“These are little things, but things that help,” said Mahaney.
Mahaney explained that the cost of materials for road improvements have gone up enormously, causing the inflation of prices for each project.
“The price of concrete has gone up 25 percent in the last two years,” he said.
For instance, the sidewalk project from 14th Street to Fletcher Avenue will cost the county $2 million. Each project has a different construction date leading up to 2011.
“Another project planned is to add lanes and reconstruct from US 17 to Amelia River Bridge,” he said. “They have budgeted $8 million dollars to acquire the right-of-way to put the additional lanes on A1A.”
Mahaney also discussed other projects planned, revenue projections and budgeting issues during the event.