JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Semitrucks stuck on A1A just north of Wonderwood Drive have become a common occurrence.
When trucks get stuck, they block traffic for hours and people can’t get to or from work, restaurants or even their homes.
Neighbors are hoping the newly installed signs that say “soft shoulder, sand” will discourage truckers from making improper U-turns and getting stuck in the sand.
“Inadvertently, they’re always stuck when I’m coming through the village,” neighbor Mark Williams said.
“If you don’t have yourself a good truck to get through the sand yourself, you’re taking the ferry,” neighbor Alijah Burris said.
After an Action News Jax investigation in April, the Florida Department of Transportation said it would conduct a study to see if signs were needed.
FDOT eventually added signs that say no stopping on pavement.
Then in May, Sky Action News Jax flew overhead as another semi got stuck doing a U-turn.
“Sometimes it’s a real hassle and then the one time the idiot dumped diesel fuel. That was really special,” Williams said.
Fifty gallons of diesel fuel had to be cleaned up.
When Action News Jax reached out to FDOT again, we learned it was going to install more signs to warn drivers who keep getting stuck in the soft sand.
Three additional signs exactly like this one have now been installed near the back gate of Naval Station Mayport.
Neighbors hope this time, drivers pay attention.
“Knowledge is power. If you know you’re going to get stuck, you’re probably not going to do that,” Burris said.
Neighbors also say if you go just a little farther down A1A past the ferry, there’s a large area where semitrucks can turn around and not get stuck.