Designs underway to improve travel through the Southside

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The FDOT is asking for the community’s input during Phase One of their plans to revamp the East Beltway.

The plans consist of widening the East Beltway to three, 12-foot lanes going in each direction, building more ponds to catch runoff and improve intersection and interchanges in the Arlington, Regency and Town Center areas.

More projects presented by the FDOT include:

• Improving traffic operations at the Merrill Road/Fort Caroline Road intersection
• Modifying the I-295 exit ramps to Monument Road to improve traffic operations
• Improving traffic operations at the I-295/St. Johns Bluff Road South interchange
• Converting the I-295/Town Center Parkway interchange to a diverging diamond interchange (DDI)
• Improving traffic operations at the Town Center Parkway/St. Johns Bluff Road South intersection
• Constructing noise walls at qualified locations

No official dates have been announced. However, the department does expect to have the Project Development and Environment Study done sometime this year and are aiming to move forward on plans by next year. The total cost of construction for all nine projects estimate at $276.8 million., which as of right now is unfunded.

FDOT says if approved the projects would “address existing and future congestion, improve regional mobility for the delivery of goods and services, decrease emergency and hurricane clearance times and improve overall safety along the I-295 corridor.”

The department will host a public hearing Thursday, January 27 to discuss the developments and scheduling. The meeting will be held at UNF’s Adam W. Herbert Center or online. More project information is available at through the department here.

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