St. Johns County commuters, businesses brace for 3-day Race Track Road closure

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Local businesses and commuters are preparing for a major road closure in St. Johns County that could turn a quick trip into a 10-mile trek. Starting Saturday at 8 p.m., Florida East Coast Railway will shut down the railroad crossing on Race Track Road near the U.S. 1 intersection for scheduled maintenance.

The tracks will remain closed to all vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians through Tuesday at 8 p.m.

While the county says the work is necessary, area business owners are already considering how the three-day closure will affect their recipe for success. Robert Garnecki, the owner of Teriyaki Madness, has pushed through traffic troubles for two and a half years at his location. He says while the area’s growth is a benefit, the infrastructure repairs have already caused a dip in sales over the past year. Now, he is getting his ducks in a row to handle the upcoming weekend. Garnecki says he has already told his staff they may have to cut back on labor or send people home, as he expects a drop in cash flow during the maintenance work.

The detours are expected to add 20 to 30 minutes of commute time for those who travel along Race Track Road every day. Garnecki says his own manager lives just up the street, but the closure will add 20 minutes to her trip. He says while he has very loyal customers, he doesn’t expect them to go 20 minutes out of their way just to pick up lunch or dinner.

During the closure, detour routes will be clearly marked.

Traveling on U.S. 1 from Jacksonville, use Old St. Augustine Road to Bartram Park Boulevard as an alternative.
Traveling on U.S. 1 from St. Augustine, use Old County Road 210, then CR 210 to St. Johns Parkway (CR 2209) as an alternative.
Traveling from Nocatee, Palm Valley, or Ponte Vedra, use Valley Ridge Boulevard to CR 210 to St. Johns Parkway (CR 2209) as an alternative.
Traveling on Race Track Road towards Jacksonville, use Bartram Park Boulevard to Old St. Augustine Road as an alternative.
Traveling on Race Track Road going to St. Augustine, Nocatee, Palm Valley, or Ponte Vedra, use St. Johns Parkway (CR 2209) to CR 210 as an alternative.

Despite the looming roadblocks, Garnecki says he is keeping a positive outlook and is not holding anyone at fault for the work. He believes the continuous expansion of St. Johns County will ultimately be a good thing for his business, noting that for now, they just need to weather the storm.