Middleburg Road Project is one step closer to begining

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — In an exciting development for Jacksonville’s Westside, the City Council passed an ordinance to allow phase one of the Old Middleburg widening project to move full steam ahead.

District 14 Council Member Rahman Johnson introduced a one-cycle emergency measure, allowing city real estate and public works to declare eminent domain and purchase parcels of land needed for the project up to $500,000.

The bill passed unanimously.

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The project was a part of the $2.25 billion-dollar Better Jacksonville Plan, that voters passed in 2000.

Council Member Johnson said that the project will help to reduce travel times, create jobs, boost area businesses, and improve the overall quality of life on the Westside.

“I am excited and thankful to see this measure approved by my colleagues on the City Council. This project has been a labor of love. Our work is a significant step towards a more connected and vibrant Jacksonville,” said Johnson.

The project required the total house and connected land of at least one community resident, who is currently battling a cancer diagnosis. He contacted Johnson’s office about finding a solution, and the councilman went to work to meet his needs and move the project forward.

“Councilman Johnson went to work to make sure that our clients and that community got the service that they deserve,” said Bob Yerkes, an attorney for several of the property owners in the area.

This move represents one of the final pieces of the Better Jacksonville Plan project.

According to Acting Public Works Operations Director Steve Long, phase one of the project from 103rd Street to Parman Road is scheduled to start construction in January 2024.

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