FDOT finds $120 million: Fuller Warren to be widened

[Josh]

So is this FDOTs way of backhandedly admitting that they totally flubbed the design of the I-10 to 95 south merger? Because it's not so much a capacity issue (you have like 6 lanes going north to 3 going south, all eventually merging on to one technical lane to get to 95 sb. whoever did the traffic study needed to be fired) as it is a poor design issue.

Absolutely. The interchange is a clusterfuck and everyone involved should be barred from any such projects going forward.

.....unfortunately, the FDOT managed to win an award for this. Ugh.
http://www.prlog.org/11707337-jacksonvilles-10i-95-interchange-named-americas-best-transportation-project.html

[Jumpinjack]

Note: Beware. WJCT site and link is compromised at this time.

We are very concerned as nearby residents to this interchange. Also, the impact of more highway concrete over the historic Annie Lytle school will completely end any chances for the restoration of the school. Why, why, why?

[Dog Walker]

I thought the I-295 beltway was supposed to reduce traffic over that bridge; that all the through traffic would go around and the bridge would only serve local traffic.  Think how much money they would save by just changing the signs to make the portion through town into I-295 and the beltway section into I-95.

They had better be able to put the new lanes inside the footprint of what is already there.  There is no room for additional right-of-way without taking out the neighborhoods on both sides.

[cline]

So is this FDOTs way of backhandedly admitting that they totally flubbed the design of the I-10 to 95 south merger? Because it's not so much a capacity issue (you have like 6 lanes going north to 3 going south, all eventually merging on to one technical lane to get to 95 sb. whoever did the traffic study needed to be fired) as it is a poor design issue.

Absolutely. The interchange is a clusterfuck and everyone involved should be barred from any such projects going forward.

.....unfortunately, the FDOT managed to win an award for this. Ugh.
http://www.prlog.org/11707337-jacksonvilles-10i-95-interchange-named-americas-best-transportation-project.html

The traffic projections for vehicles using the single I-10 EB to I-95 SB ramp were woefully underrepresented (i.e. botched) during the planning phase of the project.  Now over 100MM will have to be spent to help "fix" a project that really isn't all that old.

[thelakelander]

Yes, more land will be needed. $15 million is being set aside for ROW acquisition.  A six story building in Five Points will have to be demolished to make room. No word on Annie Lytle. If the on and off ramps on the south side of the bridge have to be rebuilt, there's really no excuse for not including a bike/ped connection between Riverside and San Marco to this.

In downtown, the highway and the bridge approaches are tightly flanked by buildings and neighborhoods on either side. The $136 million for widening the bridge includes almost $15 million to buy right of way.

A six-story office building at 751 Oak St. in the Riverside neighborhood will have to be torn down to make room. The building is home to insurance and medical offices.

http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-12-10/story/fuller-warren-bridge-downtown-jacksonville-will-be-widened-8-lanes

[Josh]

So is this FDOTs way of backhandedly admitting that they totally flubbed the design of the I-10 to 95 south merger? Because it's not so much a capacity issue (you have like 6 lanes going north to 3 going south, all eventually merging on to one technical lane to get to 95 sb. whoever did the traffic study needed to be fired) as it is a poor design issue.

Absolutely. The interchange is a clusterfuck and everyone involved should be barred from any such projects going forward.

.....unfortunately, the FDOT managed to win an award for this. Ugh.
http://www.prlog.org/11707337-jacksonvilles-10i-95-interchange-named-americas-best-transportation-project.html

The traffic projections for vehicles using the single I-10 EB to I-95 SB ramp were woefully underrepresented (i.e. botched) during the planning phase of the project.  Now over 100MM will have to be spent to help "fix" a project that really isn't all that old.

Yeah, I presume the planners assumed that only those merging from Stockton St would utilize that ramp, which while overkill for that amount of traffic, I wonder if somehow limiting it to that pattern would help improve things. I don't think there was much human element in their planning simulations.

I love it when I merge onto 95N from 10 and the actual 95S exit lanes are empty, and the alternate ramp on the far right is backed up with people trying to go that way.

[cline]

Yes, more land will be needed. $15 million is being set aside for ROW acquisition.  A six story building in Five Points will have to be demolished to make room. No word on Annie Lytle. If the on and off ramps on the south side of the bridge have to be rebuilt, there's really no excuse for not including a bike/ped connection between Riverside and San Marco to this.

In downtown, the highway and the bridge approaches are tightly flanked by buildings and neighborhoods on either side. The $136 million for widening the bridge includes almost $15 million to buy right of way.

A six-story office building at 751 Oak St. in the Riverside neighborhood will have to be torn down to make room. The building is home to insurance and medical offices.

http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-12-10/story/fuller-warren-bridge-downtown-jacksonville-will-be-widened-8-lanes

So if that building has to be taken down could this project also have adverse effects on the potential dog park?

[Dog Walker]

Yes, more land will be needed. $15 million is being set aside for ROW acquisition.  A six story building in Five Points will have to be demolished to make room.

That's got to make the owner of that high vacancy  building very happy.  But what about the Vystar branch right behind it?  Maybe they are going to have shaded parking now.

[thelakelander]

Yes, more land will be needed. $15 million is being set aside for ROW acquisition.  A six story building in Five Points will have to be demolished to make room. No word on Annie Lytle. If the on and off ramps on the south side of the bridge have to be rebuilt, there's really no excuse for not including a bike/ped connection between Riverside and San Marco to this.

In downtown, the highway and the bridge approaches are tightly flanked by buildings and neighborhoods on either side. The $136 million for widening the bridge includes almost $15 million to buy right of way.

A six-story office building at 751 Oak St. in the Riverside neighborhood will have to be torn down to make room. The building is home to insurance and medical offices.

http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-12-10/story/fuller-warren-bridge-downtown-jacksonville-will-be-widened-8-lanes

So if that building has to be taken down could this project also have adverse effects on the potential dog park?

Probably. I haven't seen the final plans for the dog park or FDOT's sketch just yet. However, I'm pretty sure no one was thinking about a dog park when they were coming up with the conceptual design for this road project.

[Dog Walker]

FDOT just recently signed a contract about that dog park and they must have known about this redesign by then.  If they go much higher with their flyovers in that area, they are going to have to issue oxygen bottles.

The neighborhood is already jarred every few minutes by big rigs doing engine braking down the northern most flyover now but since this is an "up" ramp maybe the problem won't increase.

[cline]

Yes, more land will be needed. $15 million is being set aside for ROW acquisition.  A six story building in Five Points will have to be demolished to make room. No word on Annie Lytle. If the on and off ramps on the south side of the bridge have to be rebuilt, there's really no excuse for not including a bike/ped connection between Riverside and San Marco to this.

In downtown, the highway and the bridge approaches are tightly flanked by buildings and neighborhoods on either side. The $136 million for widening the bridge includes almost $15 million to buy right of way.

A six-story office building at 751 Oak St. in the Riverside neighborhood will have to be torn down to make room. The building is home to insurance and medical offices.

http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-12-10/story/fuller-warren-bridge-downtown-jacksonville-will-be-widened-8-lanes

So if that building has to be taken down could this project also have adverse effects on the potential dog park?

Probably. I haven't seen the final plans for the dog park or FDOT's sketch just yet. However, I'm pretty sure no one was thinking about a dog park when they were coming up with the conceptual design for this road project.

I'm fairly certain that RAP had discussions with FDOT regarding the dog park.  If this project wasn't mentioned by FDOT during those talks then that is really not cool.  Unless, I suppose, they figured it wouldn't impact the dog park.  I still would think they would have mentioned it though- its kind of a major project.

[JeffreyS]

If they are going to widen the bridge they should add pedestrian / bikeway and reserve space for streetcar/ skyway crossing.

[Dog Walker]

If they are going to widen the bridge they should add pedestrian / bikeway and reserve space for streetcar/ skyway crossing.

FDOT?  Bicycles, pedestrians, mass transit?  They are traffic engineers not city planners.

[Kay]

This project needs to be stopped, period.  It is f_ _ _ ing ridiculous.  They can spend the money on undoing that monstrity they just built that is a cluster as someone mentioned earlier.

[Dog Walker]

 ^+1000!  Once a day traffic backs up in one place for an hour.  Big whoop.