A press release just went out that the FDOT is going to end access to Hendricks Ave from the Main Street bridge.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/fdot-permanently-closing-main-street-bridge-access-to-hendricks-avenue/-/475880/24200988/-/qlkrlr/-/index.html
QuoteJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
The Florida Department of Transportation is scheduled to permanently close access from the Main Street Bridge in downtown to Hendricks Avenue starting at 8 p.m. Monday. The closure is part of the Overland Bridge replacement construction project.
Crews plan to repaint the roadway lines Monday night, weather pending. The city of Jacksonville will monitor the traffic signals at Prudential Drive and Riverplace Boulevard following the closure to adjust timing to accommodate changing traffic patterns, officials said.
The permanent closure will increase safety by eliminating conflicts associated with traffic merging from Main Street to exit at Hendricks that currently crosses traffic merging from the Acosta bridge onto Interstate 95, officials said.
An alternate route from the Main Street Bridge to Hendricks Avenue will be to travel across the Main Street Bridge and take the first exit ramp toward Riverplace Boulevard. Travel straight through the intersection at Riverplace Boulevard and continue south to Prudential Drive. Turn left on Prudential Drive and continue to Hendricks Avenue.
Possible routes from I-95 to Hendricks Avenue include:
Exit at Emerson Street and travel directly east to Hendricks Avenue
Exit at Atlantic Boulevard traveling east; U-turn at Kingman Avenue (adjacent to Bishop Kenny High School) and travel back West to Hendricks Avenue
Exit at Philips Highway and U-turn at the first available median turn lane back to Atlantic Boulevard, then travel west on Atlantic Boulevard to Hendricks Avenue
FDOT hired Archer Western Contractors Inc. of Tampa to construct the Overland Bridge replacement project, which is scheduled for completion in 2016. The project includes improving traffic flow along the I-95 corridor just south of the Fuller Warren Bridge in downtown Jacksonville.
Yes, it was sometimes a bit hairy to make that exit but once again, a change is made to facilitate moving traffic past an area rather than finding a way to just make it safer. At times, that is a pretty busy exit and the other possible routes are longer and have more traffic as it is. Two of the suggestions require U turns. Just doesn't seem like a well thought out solution. But I suppose that in a few years someone in FDOT will have a great idea and their buddies will make a mint off us tax payers to get an easy and safer way to Hendricks Ave from the Main Street bridge and I95.
Again, I think it has more to do with signage than the exit. I never had a problem getting off on that exit. I think the exit does hit you kind of expected, but it seems like it would be an easy fix.
I assume they consider the new interchange at Atlantic will take its place when it opens.
^I think that's the thought, and it makes a lot of sense to get to that part of the neighborhood. To get to Hendricks you can also get off at Gulf Life Drive and take that to Hendricks. To be honest I think the real problem is having an expressway with parallel service roads at the Main Street Bridge. This is supposed to be part of downtown! It works for rush hour but it makes things harder the rest of the day.
I anticipate a traffic shift to the Acosta and a long lines of cars getting off at Prudential to connect to Hendricks. Either way not a big deal IMO.
the weave movement from the Main St bridge, crossing over the Acosta-to-95 traffic, to get to Hendricks is pretty bad during busy times. And, honestly, going northbound from San Marco to downtown has always required going up Riverplace.
Yes, this will likely lead to some traffic shifting to the Acosta (which is a good thing) and maybe even some congestion on the Prudential off-ramp....but in less than 2 years the Atlantic interchange will open.