Northeast Florida — UPDATE: The City of Jacksonville said the Hart Bridge Project is on schedule and everything is continuing as planned.
Original story below:
Since the coronavirus pandemic hit Florida, there’s been significantly less traffic on the road. The Florida Department of Transportation has used it as an opportunity to accelerate construction while keeping employees working.
In Northeast Florida, FDOT says the State Road 200 capacity improvement project between Rubin Davis Lane to O’Neill Scott Road in Yulee will be accelerated by about two weeks. The State Road 115 Arlington Expressway sidewalk project will be accelerated by two to three weeks early.
“It’s good,” Jacksonville resident Linda Childress said. “They need to so nobody gets hits and killed there.”
Childress is referencing the sidewalk near SR 115 and the Arlington Expressway. She said she walks this sidewalk to get to her bus stop and often fears for her safety.
“I’ve almost gotten hit plenty of times going down there, waiting for the bus,” Childress said.
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FDOT has expediated more than 40 transportation projects by at least 650 contract days.
The Department declined an interview with Action News Jax Monday, but sent this statement in response, “FDOT is proud to continue implementing Governor DeSantis’ forward-thinking directive to accelerate crucial transportation projects and more swiftly enhance the state’s overall transportation system,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault, P.E. “The transportation industry is vital to our economy and is essential as we move forward to re-open Florida. We will continue to accelerate projects as much as possible, while also incorporating the CDC’s safety and sanitation guidelines.”
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