Jacksonville, FL (June 30, 2021) – The Southside area is growing and with that growth transportation improvements are everywhere. CM Becton recently meet with James Knight, P.E., Urban Planning and Modal Administrator for the Florida Department of Transportation District 2, one on one and provides the following report and update of transportation projects current and future in the Southside:
JTB – Gate Parkway Interchange and I-295 Express Lane Project – [Under Construction]
Project completion date is estimated to be December 2021. This project includes the enhancement of the interchange at JTB and Gate Parkway (See Attached Design Plan) and the modification of I-295 East from JTB to 9B/9A. Being constructed are 6 additional free lanes of travel along with 4 toll Express Lanes. Sound Walls along the roadway at points where studies were conducted, will help minimize sound to adjacent communities. Interchanges, including I-295 at Gate Parkway and I-295 at Baymeadows also improved for access onto and off of I-295. Toll roads will be managed using the State of Florida SunPass System. More information on getting a SunPass can be found at: https://www.sunpass.com
JTB – San Pablo Interchange Project – [Under Construction]
Project completion date is estimated to be July 2022. This project includes the enhancement of the interchange at JTB and San Pablo Road (See Attached Design Plan). A new traffic design called a Diverging Diamond Interchange is being built to provide for an enhanced traffic capacity and movement on to and off of JTB and on San Pablo Blvd. Safety Improvements include the reduction of congestion related crashes (rear-end collisions and the elimination of 10 vehicle-to-vehicle potential confliction points. The Performance benefits modelled based on 2040 peak traffic forecast volumes include: 1) JTB Eastbound of-ramp: Delay reduced by 72 to 100 seconds per vehicle, 2) JTB Westbound Off-Ramp: Delay reduced by 6 to 57 seconds per vehicle and 3) San Pablo at Mayo Intersection: Delay reduced by 9 to 71 seconds per vehicle.
Southside Blvd – Gate Parkway Blvd Intersection Project – [Project Start 2021-2022]
Funded and scheduled for construction in FDOT’s work plan for the 2021-2022 calendar year, the intersection at Southside Blvd and Gate Parkway Blvd is being enhanced along with the roadway of Southside Blvd from JTB to Gate Parkway. The improvements to be made include the addition of travel lanes from JTB to 6 lanes, 3 each way, along with an innovative resign of the intersection that will include a second light, synchronized and will split traffic moving north and south, east and west more efficiently. Traffic from Gate Parkway West traveling to Gate Parkway East will circumvent the intersection thru that second signal. The construction by FDOT estimates could begin as early as August of 2021. (See Attached Design Plan)
JTB – Kernan Blvd Interchange Project – [Project Start 2021-2022]
Funded and scheduled for construction in FDOT’s work plan for the 2021-2022 calendar year, the interchange at JTB and Kernan Blvd will get underway. This interchange enhancement will be a major improvement in how traffic gets on and off of JTB, especially East onto Kernan whereby traffic will be split for those going north and those going south into the new Seven Pines community with separate off ramps. The southern off ramp towards Seven Pines will eventually be part of a Kernan Blvd extension, connecting to Baymeadows East thru the Southeast Quadrant development. This is the final piece of the Transportation Management Area (TMA) Plan that was developed to support surrounding traffic movement in and around the JTB corridor. (See Attached Design Plan).
Estimated Project Cost $15,045,764m.
US1 / Philips Hwy – [Project Start 2021-2022]
Funded and scheduled for construction in FDOT’s work plan for the 2021-2022 calendar year, Philips Highway is getting a much-needed improvement for roadwork that includes the Milling and Resurfacing from Baymeadows Road to University Blvd.
Estimated Project Cost $15,976,158m.
Southside Blvd – US1 Project – [Project Start 2022-2023]
Funded and scheduled for construction in FDOT’s work plan for the 2022-2023 calendar year, Southside Blvd is getting a much-needed improvement for roadwork that includes the Milling and Resurfacing from US1 to JTB. It is also hopeful that the installation of lighting from the I-95 Connector at Bell Rive to US1 will be performed at this time (at the time of this report, lighting did not get funded but based on this meeting with CM Becton, FDOT is working to revisit this appropriation). This work could begin anytime during the July to June 2023 fiscal year for FDOT but is likely to occur earlier than later, at least within the 9 months from July 2022.
Estimated Project Cost $15,383,361m.
Southside Blvd – Deerwood Park Blvd Intersection Project – [Project Start 2022-2023]
Funded and scheduled for construction in FDOT’s work plan for the 2022-2023 calendar year, the intersection at Southside Blvd and Deerwood Park Blvd (DPB) is being reconstructed to provide improvements in capacity through-put by the addition of a two-signal system, synchronized, that will manage traffic in a split system intersection moving traffic east and west from AC Skinner Parkway to Deerwood Park Blvd differently. The improvements into and out of Deerwood Park Blvd will involve two dedicated turn lanes leaving DPB to the north towards JTB and entering from the north from Southside Blvd to DPB, two dedicated lanes at a signalized turn lane will provide for a unique and innovative way to help business traffic at peak times flow more efficiency. Another change that will be noticed is the removal of the access to AC Skinner on Southside Blvd from the South at the main intersection. This access will now be moved northwards to the dedicated signal whereby an entrance at the second light will take the access onto AC Skinner past the main intersection (See Attached Design Plan).
Estimated Project Cost $10,815,559m.
Previous information as reported providing more specific illustrations and benefits can be found at:
I-95 Road Project Phase I – [Project Start 2022-2023]
Funded and scheduled for construction in FDOT’s work plan for the 2022-2023 calendar year will be the widening of I-95 from Baymeadows Road to JTB (Phase I) and then from JTB to Atlantic Blvd (Phase II). This will increase the 6 travel lanes to 10.
Estimated Project Cost $39,818,263m for the Phase I and then $367,360,726m for Phase II.
Baymeadows Road Project – [Project Start 2024-2025]
Funded and scheduled for construction in FDOT’s work plan for the 2023-2024 calendar year, Baymeadows Road from Baymeadows Circle East (BCE) to Western Way which is looking to be enhanced for capacity improvements. Going West, from BCE an additional travel lane will be added, totaling 3 in addition to a long turn lane into Baymeadows Circle West (BCW) in front of the new Baymeadows Park development. At BCW intersection a new traffic light will be installed and changes at Western Way, will eliminate the ability to transverse north and south going into the Baymeadows community. (See Attached Design Plan). In addition to these improvements, from BCE to Old Baymeadows, median improvements along with an additional travel lane, totaling 3 from BCE Eastward will be performed.
Also in the plans is the construction of some type of interchange improvement for Baymeadows Road at I-95. FDOT is reviewing plans similar to the Diverging Diamond Interchange at San Pablo that would improve capacity and efficiency of traffic flow within this area. In addition, it is also being studied how to improve the western side I-95 on Baymeadows Road into and out of Prominence Parkway.
Estimated Project Cost $7,458,215m.
I-95 Road Project Phase III & IV – [Project Start 2024-2025]
Funded and scheduled for construction in FDOT’s work plan for the 2024-2025 calendar year will be the widening of I-95 from I-295 to Baymeadows Road. This will increase the free travel lanes from 8-10 from I-295 to US1 and 6-8 from US1 to Baymeadows.
Also included in the I-95 Project is a Phase IV enhancement at the end to provide improvements at the Southside Blvd Connector to and from I-95. The plan is to: 1) provide I-95 North bound travels access to Southside Blvd North thru a new off ramp from the Connector to the traffic signal already provided at the former Paradise Island, now Southside Villas signal, 2) provide north bound Southside Blvd traffic a new access onto the connector for south bound I-95 travelers with a new (synchronized) traffic signal, 3) provide north bound Southside Blvd traffic an enhanced cross-over to the current access of Western Lake Drive with a new (synchronized) signal and 4) provide enhancements to the intersection of Southside Blvd and Belle Rive Blvd. (See Attached Design Plan).
Estimated Project Cost $110,413,800m.
Race Trac Road – [Project Start 2024-2025]
Funded and scheduled for construction in FDOT’s work plan for the 2024-2025 calendar year will be the widening of Race Trac Road from Bartram Springs to East Peyton Parkway. This will increase the free travel lanes from 2-4 and in addition will widen the bridge over I-95. The remainder of the roadway from E Peyton Parkway to 9B is being widen by a private developer to complete this project.
Projects Not Funded or Scheduled
I-295 East (JTB to Beach Blvd) – [High Priority]
Not yet funded or scheduled is the construction of widening I-295 East north of JTB to Beach Blvd. This is a major priority of FDOT and it is hopeful, that state stimulus funding might be appropriated to this project in the near future.
US1 at Race Trac Road – [Priority Item]
Not yet funded or scheduled is the construction of intersection improvements for US1 at Race Trac Road. FDOT is reviewing plans as to how to improve capacity and efficiency of traffic through this area with hopes that this can be schedule within the next 5-6 years.
US1 (I295E to Southside) – [Priority Item]
Not yet funded or scheduled is the construction of roadway improvements that would include widening US1 in this area to 6 lanes. Also, to be included would be bike/ped travel lanes and sidewalks throughout this roadway.
US1 at Southside Blvd – [Priority Item]
Not yet funded or scheduled is the construction of intersection improvements for US1 at Southside Blvd. FDOT is reviewing plans as to how to improve capacity and efficiency of traffic through this area with hopes that this can be schedule in future years.
Southside at Baymeadows – [Priority Item]
Not yet funded or scheduled is the construction of intersection improvements for Southside at Old Baymeadows Road and Baymeadows Road. FDOT is reviewing ideas as to how to improve capacity and efficiency of traffic through this area with hopes that some type of construction redesign similar to Southside at Gate Parkway and Deerwood Parkway could be accomplished.
For More Information About Northeast Florida FDOT Projects, Visit: