ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Drivers can expect to see changes to the speed limit along State Road 16 in St. Augustine.
Instead of three speed limits between I-95 and Four Mile Road, there will be five, ranging from 30 to 55 miles per hour.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said the changes are needed to create a more gradual progression and improve safety and driver expectations.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
These maps outline the new zones.
Shirley, a driver from St Johns County, says people need to go faster.
“Accident areas, yes, slow down. Construction sites slow down. Otherwise, It’s an open road. Let the people move,” she said.
State Road 16 has seen its fair share of tragedy.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Action News Jax told you in July when a 68-year-old St. Augustine woman was killed, and a St. Johns County deputy was seriously injured after a crash on 16 at Stratton Boulevard
28-year-old Mexican national Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán was struck and killed by a semi-truck on 16 after fleeing from ICE while on vacation via a tourist visa.
FDOT Community Outreach Manager Hampton Ray said these crashes are heartbreaking and taken into consideration. “We don’t want to do anything in a knee-jerk reaction. So we aren’t gonna go out there immediately and make changes to the roadway based on one crash alone. We look at a series of years, and we study the roadway. That’s why the changes you see on the road are slowed, deliberate, and methodical,” he said.
Ray said the changes stem from their routine traffic studies.
You can expect to see the speed limit signs change this month, if circumstances allow.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
