FDOT finds $120 million: Fuller Warren to be widened

[Dog Walker]

I would hate to be on the receiving end of the tongue lashing that Bishop gave Bennett.  OUCH!

It was real obvious from the beginning of their excuses to Bishop that they pulled this project together over the past few months to avoid losing the money from this district. 

Bennett really stepped in it when he whined about having to go through that intersection twice per day.  Poor baby!

[tufsu1]

Two other big projects mentioned too. 1295/95 interchange will be rebuild as a four level interchange on north side in 2016. Cost $165 million.

So, why build 9B?  That was sold as needing to relieve congestion from 95/295 interchange (which we all know was BS) b/c simply adding one lane on each side of the interchange wouldn't work.... but now they are building those lanes anyway?

FDOT is talking about spending over $300 million dollars in the next three years to upgrade two interchanges they just completed in the last couple of years.  That's insane!

The rebuild project is on the north side....they added a new flyover ramp last year, but other parts of the interchange are nearly 40 years old

That said, I'm not in favor of the project....the loop ramps do OK still

[Bridges]

That sounds like quite the meeting.  Good backlash so far. 

[Bridges]

Just mentioned dog park. Says planning hasn't gotten that far to say it can't happen. Says this project is excellent opportunity to keep $130 million in NE Florida.

Oh, wow, we have to actively waste money on roads or else we won't be able to spend more money on roads.  Remind me again how much we will make off this project?  I've heard that other forms of transportation or not revenue producing enough. 

[thelakelander]

Wants to eliminate all merging conditions between Overland Bridge and US 17.

Tell him to do it within the current footprint or not at all.

From what I can tell, most of it will be within existing ROW. Seems like the most significant ROW impacts would be in the Five Points area and a few North Riverside residences near the I-10/US 17 interchange.

[fieldafm]

Let me repeat this:

FDOT is talking about spending over $300 million dollars in the next three years to upgrade two interchanges they just completed in the last couple of years.  That's insane!

And by doing so they are going to bulldoze businesses, parks, further intrude on quiet residential neighborhoods and essentially shut down the Riverside Arts Market during the construction (which could probably wipe out two seasons of RAM- and all of the small businesses -read: unsubsidized jobs- who make a substantial portion of their living off the market).

I haven't been this mad for a long, long, long, long time.

[thelakelander]

Why can't they spend the $130 million on the road (that everyone wants) out near Oakleaf instead of tolling it (which no one wants)?

From how it sounded at the meeting, this specific project was sold as a way to keep the $130 million in our region.  With that in mind, if it can't go to this project, then money will be moved to other areas of the state in need of operational improvements.

[thelakelander]

^All of this highlights how bad communication and coordination has become between many of our public agencies. Perhaps if others had known we'd have $130 million to play with, other potential alternative projects in need of similar funding could have been considered and sold to the State.

[cline]

Wants to eliminate all merging conditions between Overland Bridge and US 17.

Tell him to do it within the current footprint or not at all.

From what I can tell, most of it will be within existing ROW. Seems like the most significant ROW impacts would be in the Five Points area and a few North Riverside residences near the I-10/US 17 interchange.

Maybe it will be within the current ROW.  But while the project is going on (for numerous years) they will need a place to store all of their equipment and random stuff- that place will be under the Fuller Warren- the same place that we currently have RAM and may eventually have the dog park.  Like Doug said earlier, look at where they are stationing all their equipment for the Overland Bridge project.  Are we expected to put RAM on hold for X-amount of years while this project is going on and just magically expect it to start back up?  RAM was decades in the making and stalling it for years would not be good.

[JeffreyS]

[Kay]

Wants to eliminate all merging conditions between Overland Bridge and US 17.

Tell him to do it within the current footprint or not at all.

From what I can tell, most of it will be within existing ROW. Seems like the most significant ROW impacts would be in the Five Points area and a few North Riverside residences near the I-10/US 17 interchange.

Maybe it will be within the current ROW.  But while the project is going on (for numerous years) they will need a place to store all of their equipment and random stuff- that place will be under the Fuller Warren- the same place that we currently have RAM and may eventually have the dog park.  Like Doug said earlier, look at where they are stationing all their equipment for the Overland Bridge project.  Are we expected to put RAM on hold for X-amount of years while this project is going on and just magically expect it to start back up?  RAM was decades in the making and stalling it for years would not be good.

My personal intent is to kill it dead.  We can do this!

[Dog Walker]

Wants to eliminate all merging conditions between Overland Bridge and US 17.

Tell him to do it within the current footprint or not at all.

From what I can tell, most of it will be within existing ROW. Seems like the most significant ROW impacts would be in the Five Points area and a few North Riverside residences near the I-10/US 17 interchange.

There is not room in the existing FDOT right-of-way for the additional south bound lanes from Stockton to the bridge in a coupe of areas. One is at the corner of Gilmore and Margaret where there is a masonic lodge building.  Another is in Riverside Park unless the put it on top of the existing lanes

[thelakelander]

In the sketch, it seems like most of the improvements in vicinity of Stockton would be built within existing ROW:

http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Transit/Roads-and-Bridges/Fuller-Warren-Bridge-Expansion/35300233_t5ZXLR#!i=2961827208&k=hDftBwW&lb=1&s=A

[Kay]

We cannot forget about the proposed flyover which will greatly exacerbate the noise in the neighborhood and take some of N. Riverside.

[Dog Walker]

In the sketch, it seems like most of the improvements in vicinity of Stockton would be built within existing ROW:

http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Transit/Roads-and-Bridges/Fuller-Warren-Bridge-Expansion/35300233_t5ZXLR#!i=2961827208&k=hDftBwW&lb=1&s=A

Ennis, there simply isn't room in a couple of places.  There is less than ten feet between the masonic lodge building and the existing FDOT fence.  The color coding on that section is a bit strange.  They show the "new pavement" color with a yellow "bridge color" line beside it.  Are they planning to elevate these sections?  If I am reading the pictures correctly there is already pavement where they have coded for new pavement.