Dangerous Jacksonville intersection remains unchanged after series of wrecks

Eight months after Action News Jax exposed a dangerous Jacksonville intersection was in need of safety upgrades, the city still has not made those changes.

One month after Action News Jax's original story aired, the city completed a traffic study about the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Bulls Bay Highway and recommended it become a four-way stop.

That was in February.

In the meantime, neighbors say people are getting hurt.

“It’s ridiculous,” said neighbor Tammy Kemp.

“It’s been 25 years I’ve lived here, and nothing’s been done. We don’t even have a rumble strip,” said neighbor Ernest Taylor.

Last month, one crash split a power pole at the intersection.

Days later, a mail carrier was taken away in an ambulance after she got into a crash that destroyed a utility box.

The February traffic study said the intersection is dangerous because drivers speed through it, and Commonwealth Avenue curves very close to the intersection.

The study recommended making the intersection a four-way stop with overhead flashing red beacons in all directions.

The study also recommended adding “Stop Ahead” signs with flashing yellow beacons on Commonwealth Avenue.

“We can do something about this, but it has taken so long to do it,” said Kemp.

Action News Jax emailed the city five times over the past two weeks asking why it has not yet made the safety upgrades recommended in its own report.

On Thursday evening, city spokesperson Tia Ford sent us an email, which she said was on behalf of the city’s traffic engineering department.

“This process takes time and involves an engineering study, land survey, identifying conflicting utilities, field verifying installation plan, designing, cost estimating, procurement of funds, ordering concrete poles and other equipment, waiting on fabrication of poles and specialized equipment, procurement of construction services and installation,” Ford’s email said, in part.

Ford said the traffic engineering department expects to make the changes by November.

Cox Media Group