As Overland Bridge projects wraps, Fuller Warren Bridge expansion begins

As Overland Bridge projects wraps, Fuller Warren Bridge expansion begins
Rendering of an autonomous vehicles under consideration for the Ultimate Urban Circulator

Whether you travel by car, bicycle, Skyway or on foot, there’s a transportation project in 2018 that will affect your life.

The good news for motorists is the Overland Bridge project, which started in 2013, is coming to a close this spring. The $159.2 million project to widen Interstate 95, replace aging overpasses and reconfigure traffic patterns has been a major headache for drivers and residents living near the noisy construction zone.

But a new construction project will soon begin on the Fuller Warren Bridge that will have something for drivers, cyclists and walkers when it is completed in 2020.

And, Jacksonville residents will get to try out some of the models of autonomous vehicles under consideration by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority for the new Ultimate Urban Circulator.

A number of other projects will be under way in the coming months, which in the short term will mean detours and traffic delays. Here’s a rundown:

Rendering of proposed multi-use path that will be part of the Fuller Warren Bridge expansion.

Rendering of proposed multi-use path that will be part of the Fuller Warren Bridge expansion.

Fuller Warren Bridge: Starting in May 2018, the Florida Department of Transportation will begin construction on a $126 million project to add traffic lanes and a shared-use path to the bridge. The work is expected to be completed in summer 2020.

The 12-foot-wide pathway for pedestrians and cyclists will be on the south side of the bridge, separated from traffic by a fence. The railing will have artistic features developed with input from Riverside Avondale Preservation and the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens.

Construction will occur on the south side of the bridge, said Odette Struys, the project spokesperson. Piers will be installed in the river to support the roadway and two extra lanes will be added. Once that work is done, the median will be moved over a lane, giving the northbound traffic an extra lane.

The project also includes new ramps on Interstate 10 at Irene and Stockton streets. Sound barriers will be erected on the east side of U.S. 17 northbound between McDuff Avenue and Rosselle Street and on the south side of I-10 between Stockton and College Streets.

More information about the project is available at Your10and 95.com.

Hendricks Avenue repaving: The resurfacing project along approximately three miles of San Jose Boulevard and Hendricks Avenue from Cornell Road to San Marco Boulevard is scheduled to begin Jan. 3 and is expected to be finished by spring 2019, said Debbie Delgado, a spokesperson for Florida Department of Transportation. When the $5.4 million project is done, bicyclists will have a bike lane running from Baymeadows Road to Prudential Drive.

Daytime lane closures are not permitted during northbound morning and southbound evening rush hours, but expect slowdowns during other times, Delgado said. The repaving part of the project will occur at night, so residents along Hendricks may hear noise. But the work proceeds quickly so the disruption shouldn’t last very long, Delgado said.

Among the highlights of the Hendricks Avenue project:

On-street parking from Cornell Road to Peachtree Circle North will be removed and bike lanes will be added.

The roadway will be widened by reducing the median between Peachtree Circle North and Dunsford Road to accommodate both on-street parking and bike lanes. 

On-street parking from Dunsford Road to San Marco Boulevard will be removed and bike lanes will be added. Traffic signals and crosswalks also will be upgraded.

A one-mile stretch of Emerson from Hendricks Avenue to Philips Highway is being repaved as well. The project also includes upgrades to traffic signals and improvements to handicap-access ramps. Concrete medians will be installed on both sides of the Florida East Coast Railroad crossing, a block west of Philips Highway. The $1.1 million project is expected to be completed by spring. For more information about the project, go to nflroads.com.

In addition, to add to the traffic upheaval, JEA has been installing water and sewage infrastructure along the west side of Hendricks Avenue from Cornell Road to San Marco Boulevard. The work is expected to conclude by the end of February.

Riverplace Boulevard: Bids are being sought for the $4 million revamp of Riverplace Boulevard between Main Street and Prudential Drive. The “road diet” will slim the five-lane road down to three lanes, making room for wider sidewalks, bicycle lanes and on-street parking. District 5 Councilwoman Lori Boyer said work should begin in the spring and take about a year.

The new configuration will slow down traffic as it passes through what has become an increasingly residential area, as well as improve access to the Riverwalk.

Skyway: Jacksonville residents will be able to check out the autonomous vehicles under consideration for the Ultimate Urban Circulator — the new improved Skyway.

A test track has been opened adjacent to Lot K between the Doro District and Daily’s Place, said Leigh Ann Rassler, JTA spokesperson. It’s where JTA will be testing the various models offered by manufacturers. The public will have a chance to check them out and get a free ride during special events held throughout the two years of the testing.

For more information about the project, go to www.jtafla.com/blueprint/ultimate-
urban-circulator-u2c.

Brooklyn Road Diet: This month the consultants for the proposed Brooklyn Road Diet are expected to present cost estimates for the various options to the Downtown Development Review Board and the Downtown Investment Authority. The “road diet” is being considered in order to make Riverside Avenue more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly between Forest Street and Downtown.

In 2017, the consultants – POND & Company, and Dover, Kohl & Partners – offered several options each for Riverside Avenue, Forest Street and Park Street, including a roundabout at Riverside Avenue and Forest Street to provide slower speeds, a distinctive gateway to the river, and clear travel lanes.


By Lilla Ross
Resident Community News

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