More than $40 million in improvement projects to make local roads safer

More than $40 million in road and safety improvements are planned for the beaches communities over the next several years.

During the Atlantic Beach City Commission meeting Monday night, the North Florida TPO updated the projects planned for the area for fiscal years 2019-2020 through 2023-2024.

Improvements include intersection modifications, traffic signals and bridge repairs, among other things.

In the Atlantic Beach area, $2,465,150 is planned for a Mayport Road safety project between Atlantic Boulevard and the entrance to Naval Station Mayport.

Construction on the project isn’t expected to begin until the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

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Atlantic Beach Mayor Ellen Glasser said the city called for a safety study in the area after 12-year-old Hunter Cope was killed by a suspected drunk driver while walking to Mayport Middle School in 2017.

“We have long been concerned about the speed on that road and about the fact that there’s a middle school there that didn’t have a school zone there,” Mayor Glasser said.

Mayor Glasser said it’s unclear right now if the project includes installing a crosswalk, but she said they’ll make that a priority.

There’s also a project to modify the Atlantic Boulevard and A1A intersection, near the Beaches Town Center.

Action News Jax has reported on several vehicles that have plowed through the intersection and crashed into a boutique storefront.

The project is expected to cost around $668,428. Engineering will begin the 2019-2020 fiscal year, with construction taking place the following year.

During the meeting, a spokesperson for the North Florida TPO said improvement plans have not been finalized.

Other FDOT projects include:

• $1,135,281 for traffic signal updates at Atlantic Boulevard and San Pablo Road for fiscal years 2021-2022.
• $3,475,835 for Atlantic Boulevard and San Pablo River Bridge repair and rehabilitation for fiscal years 2021-2022.
• A $770,000 safety study on JTB from I-95 to A1A to evaluate adding new lanes that will be funded over four fiscal years.
• $14,311,882 to construct a diverging diamond at the JTB and San Pablo intersection for fiscal year 2019-2020.
• $1,473,830 for ITS (Intelligent transportation System) communication system on JTB from Philips Highway to A1A which including cameras and dynamic message signs for fiscal years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.
• $16,943,637 for drainage improvements on Wonderwood Drive from Wompi Drive to east of the Intercoastal Waterway Bridge for fiscal year 2021-2022.

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Cox Media Group