Replace Outer Beltway with New Link To Gainesville, I-75, Tampa

[stjr]

I have often thought that Jax would benefit tremendously by having an expressway link from 1-295 on the Westside/Orange Park to Gainesville and I-75/Tampa.

If we had a quick way to Gainesville, it would be close to putting the assets of the University of Florida community including its researchers within the sphere of companies and other entities in Jax that could develop stronger partnerships for high tech research and manufacturing.  UF's graduate schools would be more accessible to Jax's professional community allowing for more internships, continuing education, and graduate degree level jobs in Jax that need such programs in proximity for support.  With all due respect to JU and UNF, Jax has always been criticized for lacking more varied and deeper graduate level programs to support more sophisticated and higher paying industries.

I have also noted many UF faculty living in proximity to Jax, the nearest "big city" to Gainesville, because of their desire to raise families with the greater opportunities afforded by a larger city.  There are many commuters, both professors and students, between Jax and Gainesville.  A stronger connection could further enhance the presence of highly educated citizens in Jax, another area where studies I have seen put us well below the national average.  Such additions to the our community would be a community and economic boost to Jax as well as maybe help raise the level of expectations for what Jax can or should accomplish as a community (we need to start with higher expectations for ourselves before we can begin to achieve them).

Logistically, the link to I-75 would be a boon to the port and offer Jax-Tampa travellers an alternative and quicker route to Tampa bypassing Orlando.  It also would offer another "escape" route to hurricane evacuations.

For all the reasons above, this route would also do a lot more to open up Clay County to job opportunities than any outer beltway around Jax.  If such a link where successful, a cross link from it to I-95 in St. Johns County could eventually be built offering St. John's and Clay the benefits of both I-95 and I-75!  That sure beats what's on the drawing boards now.

P.S. Such a corridor could also be a pathway for a future mass transit or intercity rail link.

[Ocklawaha]

There have been several plans floated for a Florida "WEST COAST" Freeway, running from JAX - Gainesville - Dunnellon - Tampa (More or Less). The last of these a toll road is actually built North out of Hillsboro County but stops around Dunnellon. Lack of funds, support, Politics, or "BRASS ONES" have kept it asleep for the present. I'm sure it could be a OBAMA shovel ready project if we pushed it.

Moreover, it could be a restoration of a rail route that followed the same path, and still sits on the ground over about 80% of the route. We would need to close three small gaps and rebuild the track on the balance to have a rail-highway corridor JAX-TAMPA.

The Rail Route is/was:

JACKSONVILLE - BALDWIN - MACCLENNY - INTACT
MACCLENNY - Lake Butler - Alachua (ABANDONED RIGHT-OF-WAY INTACT)
Alachua - Gainesville - INTACT
Gainesville - Archer (ABANDONED RIGHT -OF-WAY INTACT)
Archer - Dunnellon - Crystal River - INTACT
Dunnellon - Inverness - Brooksville (ABANDONED RIGHT - OF - WAY Planned for Trail project)
Brooksville - Tampa - INTACT

Something to think about!

OCKLAWAHA

[Traveller]

If the proposed 301 bypass around Starke ever gets built, it would shave 10-15 minutes off the drive to Gainesville, making it possible to drive between the center of each city in just over an hour.  The entire drive would be 60+ mph other than the Lawtey and Waldo speed traps.  Unfortunately, there is strong local opposition to the bypass, as many Starke businesses claim their primary source of revenue is from drivers passing through town, and that any bypass would effectively kill the city.

http://www.us301starke.com/

[tufsu1]

There was an FDOT study several years ago that looked at new and upgraded highways criss-crossing the state....and it included the Tampa-Jax corridor.....thankfully Crist put the whole concept to bed as being too expensive and contributing to our sprawl problem.

That said, it is important that we protect the capacity of many of our rural highways...for example, look at what's happened to US 19 north of Tampa....now we are forced to spend $100 million each to convert intersections into overpasses/interchanges.

It is vital that US 301 be maintained as a route for freight and intercity travel...right now I can get to Tampa in about 3 hours going 301 to SR 326 to I-75....furthernmore, protect the capacity of 301 north of I-10 and then there is NO NEED for the northern outer beltway!

[Charles Hunter]

Since the Jax-Tampa route is only a concept, there's no way it could be "shovel ready" for the first Obama stimulus package, maybe if he has another one in year 4 or 5 ...  "Shovel ready" means the final plans are complete, and if any right-of-way is needed, it is in hand.  Concepts don't cut it.

However, I think I've seen a list of State "shovel ready" projects for the stimulus money, and it includes widening US301 between Baldwin and Callahan.  Last time I was up there, they were working on adding lanes to A1A between Callahan and I-95.  It's been awhile, so I don't know if they've finished that piece or not.

[JeffreyS]

I think shovel ready is an awful reason to approve projects. I get using the money to expedite projects but each one on it's own merits please. I just wish we had one of those Mayors who wasn't using the shovel ready as an excuse not to ask. Again what is the worst that can happen they say no?

[tufsu1]

More often than not shovel ready means that all the studies have been done...and the project is feasible to move forward....which implies that it already had to pass the "stand on its own merit" test

[adamh0903]

They finshed the 4-lane project on A1A in Callahan Sometime ago. Its now 4 lane from about 4 miles ouside of Callahan, all the way to the atlantic ocean.

[GatorShane]

Great idea. I know I am biased but it could strengthen the relationship between Jax and its financial presence, and Gainesville and its academic and research capabilities.

[urbanlibertarian]

Upgrades on US 301 seem at lot more prudent than a new highway especially when you consider the costs of ROW aquisition.

[stjr]

Per below, here comes the Outer Beltway Project again.  I see this as another bad project, regardless of funding, for Northeast Florida.  Far more urban sprawl and environmental destruction than ever created by I-295 and 9A and far less helpful than a wide range of alternative projects (such as the one initiating this thread).

Further, it is not the panacea envisioned by its supporters. Rather, it will bring them a host of new and underfunded ills to their communities.  It may even serve to de-emphasize what we have now by encouraging a speedier and more remote circumvention of the existing populated areas.  When will we ever get off of this endless road building treadmill and learn to improve the quality of what we already have than to manufacture more low-quality quantities of our existing society?

From the Florida Times Union:  http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-03-15/story/legislators_hope_to_get_outer_beltway_project_going

Legislators hope to get Outer Beltway project going

The $2 billion project linking I-95 with I-10 was delayed a year ago

One of the largest planned construction projects in Northeast Florida may finally be getting back on track.
The Florida Department of Transportation indefinitely delayed construction of the 46.5- mile First Coast Outer Beltway in April 2008 because of uncertainty about whether property taxes will be charged on land on which the beltway would be constructed.

Rep. Jennifer Carroll,   R-Fleming Island, and Sen. Tony Hill,  D-Jacksonville, introduced legislation that would exempt private companies from having to pay taxes in a public-private transportation partnership.

The state had planned to bring in a private company to finance, design, build and maintain the road because FDOT doesn’t have the money. This private company would recoup its money via tolls, making the beltway the first toll road in Northeast Florida in more than 20 years.

The road would cost about $2 billion and connect Interstate 95 in St. Johns County to Interstate 10 in Duval County.

Carroll said it’s unfair that FDOT can build a road on its own without paying taxes but a private company providing the same service would have to pay millions.

State agencies such as the FDOT are exempt from paying taxes on land they own, but it is it unclear if a private company would be charged property taxes in a public-private partnership. FDOT delayed the project because it didn’t expect any private companies to bid on if they faced property taxes.

Studies conducted by the state on the project have estimated that the beltway could generate 35,000 jobs, and it’s essential that the state moves forward, Carroll said.

Charles Baldwin , FDOT’s district secretary, said if the legislation becomes law the construction should begin within a year.

Although the recession might make private companies skittish about committing $2 billion, Baldwin insisted there is still significant interest in building the road. He points to recent deal FDOT made with a Spanish company to build three new lanes of Interstate 595 in Fort Lauderdale. The construction of those lanes is expected to cost about $1.8 billion.

Madrid based Actividades de Construccion & Servicios SA  will operate and maintain that new road. But unlike the Outer Beltway, the state will set toll rates and pocket the revenue. The private company will make its money back from FDOT based on performance measures, such as how well it builds and maintains the lanes.

Baldwin said he still gets calls from companies around the globe that are interested in the Outer Beltway project.

“Our economy may be in the toilet, but there’s still money in the global economy to do this,” he said.

Jacksonville Councilman Art Graham,  chairman of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, said the project would be a godsend to the area if it can be built soon because it would be an extra $2 billion in economic stimulus, which is roughly equal to the amount of money spent in the Better Jacksonville plan.

The organization has ranked the beltway as its top construction priority. Executive director Denise Bunnewith  said Interstate 295 south of Interstate 10 is already congested and will likely get more congested without the beltway.

The new road would ease congestion in Clay and St. Johns counties while also attracting economic development to the area, Bunnewith said.

[stjr]

The organization has ranked the beltway as its top construction priority. Executive director Denise Bunnewith  said Interstate 295 south of Interstate 10 is already congested and will likely get more congested without the beltway.

The new road would ease congestion in Clay and St. Johns counties while also attracting economic development to the area, Bunnewith said.

That's the same thing used to justify I-295 and 9-A.  A fool's gold!!  They will soon have more congestion than they ever thought possible.  A beltway has likely never cured congestion for good - only added to it over the long term.  Once again, no common sense!  How about spending the same $2 Billion on mass transit rail for the First Coast!

Building this road is all about enriching developers and land owners.  Nothing more and nothing less!

[tufsu1]

Building this road is all about enriching developers and land owners.  Nothing more and nothing less!

as Ms. Bunnewith said, it WILL alleviate existing congestion...those savings may be offset by additional traffic from future development....but the folks in Clay and St. Johns County would call that economic development!

[reednavy]

Any excuse to get more Clay County drivers off 295 is a good thing, IMO. They are the single worst drivers in the state, well, this part at least.

The biggest benefit will be a desperately needed new river crossing for Green Cove Springs. The Shands Bridge is the scariest one I think I have ever driven on, only 2 lanes, no shoulders, and only river 5 feet from the passenger side.

[thelakelander]

If you want to see the future of what an outer beltway will bring to the table, visit Houston (I-610 and the Sam Houston Tollway).

It would be better if they kept the Shands and built a second bridge halfway between it and I-295. If traffic flow were really the major concern, that would have been the case, imo.

Other than that, the main purpose of this highway is to spread sprawl development to Clay and St. Johns.  Everything else is secondary.