‘Traffic is backed up:’ Road construction frustrates Clay County drivers

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Lake Asbury, Fla. — Drivers in the Lake Asbury area of Clay County say construction to widen a popular main road was a necessity. Now, it’s an annoyance and a safety hazard.

“The traffic is backed up,” said Stephanie Benoit, who uses Sandridge Road to take her daughter to school during the school year.

“Normally it’s a 5-minute drive,” she said. “And then it takes me an extra 45 minutes to get here. It’s very inconvenient and then I have to budget more money for gas.”

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The county is widening Sandridge Road from two lanes to three, with turning lanes in the middle. It’s happening in front of Lake Asbury Elementary and Junior High schools in hopes of keeping students safe and minimizing traffic.

“They keep building all these new housing complexes and then there’s nowhere for the traffic to actually go,” said Benoit.

Sandridge Road from Henley Road to Eagle Haven Drive will be closed until July 30th. Construction started May 30th.

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Clay County officials say quote, “We continue to stress that drivers be patient, go the speed limit, pay attention to signage, and avoid the area if possible. Know we’re doing all we can to make this a quick and safe project. Keep in mind the timeline for this is an estimated seven weeks. For additional perspective, leaders targeted this summer period in order to have the portion in front of two schools done before school starts.”

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