Hart Bridge downtown ramps set to be removed starting in February

“We’re focused on as little impact as possible, although it is a major construction project,” explains John Pappas, the city’s Public Works Director.

That means there’s no way around detours, and most likely big delays. The project is expected to take two years until it’s complete. Pappas tells Action News Jax, the first year will be the biggest headache for drivers.

“To take down the expressway we have to take traffic off of it, so we will be utilizing other ways of getting traffic down and around the area.”

So here’s what you can expect starting in February.

The left ramp into downtown off the Hart Bridge will be closed.

So all drivers will have to take Gator Bowl Boulevard to get to downtown.

And it will stay this way for about a year until a new ramp is built connecting Hart Bridge and Gator Bowl Boulevard.

It’s a plan that has some neighbors in the area concerned about traffic during events at TIAA Bank and Daily’s Place.

“I’m very grateful that I can hit that left-hand lane and bypass all the game day traffic, but now this will bring us down into the heart of that situation,” explains Victor Dellaba, a local who uses the Hart Bridge ramp to downtown every day.

The city says they will have traffic control officers in this area during rush hour to help with traffic flow. ​

Action News Jax has been closely following the project to tear down the ramps.

The City of Jacksonville said in 2019 that they hoped to have construction on the $37.5 million project completely done by the end of 2021.

The project is being funded by the City of Jacksonville, Florida Department of Transportation, and US Department of Transportation.