Jacksonville, FL (October 23, 2019) – Florida Department of Transportation held a public hearing to discuss the changes FDOT is considering to the intersection of Southside Boulevard and Deerwood Park Boulevard at AC. Skinner Parkway.
The meeting was held on Wednesday, October 23rd at the Southeast Regional Library, which is located off Deerwood Park Blvd. An Open House took place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for residents who wished to stop by and learn more about the proposed changes and speak with FDOT staff and consultants. A formal public hearing began at 6 pm where attendees who completed a speaker’s card had the opportunity to make oral statements that will become part of the public hearing record during the formal public hearing portion.
The proposed improvements discussed at the public meeting included:
- Median access modifications.
- Construction of a Displaced Left Turn Lane from southbound Southside Boulevard to Deerwood Park Boulevard.
- Adding a left turn lane from Deerwood Park Boulevard to southbound Southside Boulevard.
- Adding a right turn lane from northbound Southside Boulevard to Deerwood Park Boulevard.
- Adding a left turn lane from northbound Southside Boulevard to A.C. Skinner Parkway.
- Adding a right turn lane from Deerwood Park Boulevard to northbound Southside Boulevard.
- Modifications to drainage, lighting, signals, signing and pavement markings.
These changes are a direct result of Council member Becton’s work with the City and FDOT on improving the roadway conditions within this corridor. Working with local businesses and the Deerwood Park Owners Association, several other projects in addition to this future improvement are forth coming.
In 2015, it came to Councilman Becton’s attention that Deerwood Park Boulevard traffic challenges that effected employees of large businesses in the area ability to get to and from work, specifically in the morning and afternoon. When looking at the issues, he said it quite apparent that changes had to be performed to several areas of concern. The areas he is referring too are; 1) the two-lane bridge on the east end of Deerwood Park Blvd east of Centurion Parkway N, 2) a traffic light at Centurion Parkway N and Deerwood Park Blvd. and 3) Intersection improvements at Southside and Deerwood Parkway.
“Progress is finally becoming reality,” Councilman Becton said. “Soon I will have the opportunity to announce that in the early part of 2020, the city will begin Project #1 & #2, the two-lane bridge widening to four-lanes and the installation of a traffic light at Deerwood Park Blvd and Centurion Parkway N, just west of the bridge. Those projects got their final funding in the 2019 – 2020 budget, recently approved by City Council and are shovel ready waiting on the awarding process to be completed.”
According to FDOT’s website, the State Road 115 project and its improvements are scheduled to start in late 2023 and expected to be completed by 2025, and will cost a total of $8.5 million dollars.
“The third area of concern was this intersection. We went through several ideas of how to get traffic moving through this intersection more efficiently and most notably towards JTB. The ideas landed on this very creative traffic flow called a Displaced Left designed, which was very impressive as traffic modeled thru 2045 was still functioning and functioning well.” Councilman Becton said. “Instead of doing some minor but expensive traffic light adjustments at that intersection, we decided this project for which FDOT would lead, was the best answer”.
As to comments not made at the public hearing, they could be mailed to FDOT by mail before November 2, 2019 at the following mailing address: 1109 South Marion Avenue (MS 2002), Lake City, Florida 32025. For more information, contact Chris Rhude at (386) 961-7475 or email at [email protected].