Hart Bridge demo impact lessened by closures
Demolition of the Hart Bridge ramps is progressing steadily Downtown near the sports and entertainment district that includes TIAA Bank Field. It’s bringing with it all the attendant ramp closures and traffic rerouting, but people who report to work in the area every day said the recent state and local closures have helped to lessen impact on nearby businesses – for now.
City workers are removing the current ramps from the Hart Bridge, which was constructed in 1967 and named after City founder Isaiah D. Hart. They’re also constructing new roads that reroute traffic to an area that includes multiple sports and entertainment venues including the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Daily’s Place amphitheater and 121 Financial Ballpark, the baseball grounds that are home to the Jumbo Shrimp. The construction project will take two years and $39 million to complete, according to state and city records. At the same time, officials hope the new road connections being crafted will bring more growth to the area.
“The Overhead Expressway no longer serves the purpose of bridging over a very industrial area of Jacksonville,” City of Jacksonville spokeswoman Marjorie Dennis explained. “The improvements will better support development in the area and create a better connection to the St. Johns River – Jacksonville’s greatest asset,” Dennis said, noting the Bridge project was paid for with a mix of federal, state, and local funding. The City will pay the largest portion, $14 million, while the state is chipping in $12.5 million and the federal government is contributing $12.46 million.
In the meantime, traffic from the Hart Bridge heading west is being directed to Duval Street, then to Gator Bowl Boulevard, and onto Bay Street. Traffic from the opposite direction, heading east from Bay Street, is being directed to Gator Bowl Boulevard, then to Duval Street and then up the Hart Bridge ramp. Preparation for demolition began in late February and early March and construction was well underway in April while the city was offering drive-through Coronavirus testing at Lot J, adjacent to the complex. The virus’ impact was a mixed bag in terms of traffic in the area.
Sky Lebron, a reporter working from the WJCT offices facing the St. Johns River and on the southside of TIAA Bank Field, said in April that drive-through Coronavirus testing at Lot J has contributed to traffic on service roads around the station. However, as a whole, he said the lessening of traffic due to state and local closures has likely decreased the amount of traffic delays in the area … for now. He wonders what traffic will look like in a month or two, because the state just got the go-ahead to administer up to 400 tests a day at Lot J, up from 250, and workers will eventually return to their jobs downtown.
“There is a lot going on right out front of our doorstep, but it hasn’t gotten overwhelming,” he said. “I usually get in around 8:50 or 8:55 in the morning, and there’s already a line of people because the testing site opens up at 9 a.m. That could cause some more strain where that construction is taking place, with people coming in to get tested and having to deal with construction to the left of them that has blocked off a lane.”
Officials hope the new routes from the Hart Bridge will create development down the road for Lot J. Right now, the area consists of a parking lot at the southwest corner of TIAA Bank Field and is the site of virus testing. However, Iguana Investments, which is owned by Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan, has partnered with Baltimore-based Cordish Companies to develop a project there that is now projected to cost $2.5 billion. The most current plans include a Live! Arena entertainment district, a 200-room boutique hotel, a 300-unit residential tower and an office building between Bay and East Adams streets.
Construction has not yet begun on the Lot J project although soil testing has been conducted at the site. In the meantime, Lot “E,” where RV-City is located, will be closed, said Dennis. Once construction has been completed, a portion of the lot will be used for parking. She also said the improvements would eventually support access to WJCT and other neighborhoods in the area.
By Jennifer Edwards
Resident Community News
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