State Rd 9B

[St. Auggie]

Sorry went back and read how I said it, and I worded it poorly.  What I was trying to refer more to was I know that this is suppose to be one more reason that it is a shame that 9b is being built.  I guess I just hate it when reporters get all high and mighty and say "hey you know that thing that no one cared about, well now we are going to bring it up to try and make you feel bad."  Thats all.  Its sad that this town, and America as a general rule do not care about its history more. 

[Mattius92]

I wonder why they couldn't of just moved the schoolhouse, I guess it wasn't of that much importance.

[thelakelander]

^At the end of the day that's most likely the answer.  It just wasn't that much of an importance.

[Charles Hunter]

Wonder why the "caring" news media couldn't have written a story BEFORE the school house was torn down?  Maybe rally support to move it?  Or some of that Historic Preservation money?

[thelakelander]

^Great point.

[Mattius92]

Yeah, the media only write about negative things, people seem to care more about that, however anycould use positivity opposed to negativity.

[aaapolito]

Let's face it, the real reason to oppose 9B is because that means no more "Go Jags" sign in the grass hill on the opposite side of the 9B ramp from 9A.

[Mattius92]

Oh yeah, thats it, haha

[British Shoe Company]

Another example why barriers are needed for 9B, and 9A should get them ASAP!

TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash Closes State Road 9A Between Baymeadows, Phillips

POSTED: Tuesday, May 18, 2010
UPDATED: 1:16 pm EDT May 18, 2010
9A Crash At Phillips Highway
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A wreck involving two vehicles and at least four injuries at midday Tuesday has State Road 9A closed between Baymeadows Road and Phillips Highway.

The accident was reported just after noon in the southbound lanes near the U.S. Highway 1 exit.

Channel 4 was told two victims were trapped in one vehicle and an air ambulance was sent to transport patients.

tiny 4 logoChannel 4 has a crew headed to the scene. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, with full reports on the local station beginning at 5 p.m.

[reednavy]

The story mentions nothing about a vehicle crossing the median and smashing into another car going northbound.

Example fail.

[Mattius92]

Ha Ha, Example fail...

However I do agree that median barriers are smart, everywhere is getting them. However I am sure 9B will be built cheap.

[reednavy]

I stand corrected, now that FHP has released a preliminary report. At the time though, we didn't know what happened.

However, they won't install barriers unless they widen it, but they could at least install guardrails.

"The FHP said Hampton's Chevrolet Caprice was traveling northbound on 9A when the right rear tire blew out, causing Hampton to lose control. Troopers said his car traveled through the grass median into the southbound lanes where it struck Neviaser's pickup truck and Bean's van."

[stjr]

Lots of political cover-ups in the comments below "celebrating" the beginning of 9B/I-795.

Let's see: It will benefit Nocatee, create jobs,  improve our "lifestyle", and protect wildlife!

Translation: It will create urban sprawl, won't improve any lifestyle other than the developers being enriched, and will destroy wildlife habitats.  As to jobs, we could have created those same jobs by spending these same dollars on a mass transit project.

I expect this thinking from our lock-step local Republicans but I am disappointed that Obama thinks this is how stimulus monies should best be used.

Construction Begins On State Road 9B
Federal Stimulus Money Funds Almost All Of $76.8 Million Highway Project

POSTED: Friday, July 2, 2010
UPDATED: 7:13 pm EDT July 2, 2010

State Road 9B groundbreaking
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Federal, state and local transportation officials cut the ribbon Friday on a $76.8 million highway project they expect will relieve traffic congestion in southeastern Duval County when it is completed in two years.

State Road 9B will run five miles from State Road 9A near Baymeadows Road to U.S. 1 in St. Johns County. The highway will not only relieve existing traffic backups, but should help traffic flow to the growing communities of Northwest St. Johns County -- especially Nocatee.

"We call this a real regional project because it's not just important to those of us who are from Duval County or live in Duval County, but also those in St. Johns County," said Stephanie Copelousos, secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation.

"This is one that we've been trying to do, haven't had all the funding to get it complete and with the federal stimulus dollars," Copelousos said.

All but $800,000 of the funding is coming from the Recovery Act.

"We are doing exactly what the Recovery Act was intended to do, and that' s sustain or create jobs," Copelousos said.

Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez traveled from Washington for the groundbreaking. He said this new road is good for safety, convenience and lifestyle.

"Certainly for all of us, just as regular citizens, we'll be able to spend more time with our families and less time in traffic," Mendez said.

Like most construction projects, traffic in the area is likely get worse before it gets better. Transportation officials expect it will be complete in the summer of 2012.

State Road 9B will initially be constructed as a four-lane concrete divided highway, but is expandable to eight lanes. In addition to several overpasses of roads and waterways, a wildlife crossing will be included under the Powers Bay Relief Bridge, with wildlife fencing to keep animals off the roadway and guide them to the crossing.

For more information on the project, including maps, photos and traffic impacts, visit SR9B.com.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/24126411/detail.html

[Ocklawaha]

UTAH


FDOT



Sam Pemberton Civil Ltd


Florida, Open tops for underpasses for amphibians are often recommended so that air, soil humidity and light conditions inside the tunnels are similar to conditions outside


A large-mammal underpass (7-8 m (23-26.2 ft) wide, 4-5 m (13.1-16.4 ft) high) along U.S. Highway 93 south of Ravalli, MT


The Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority manages almost 4,000 acres of land in southern Los Angeles County. This landmass, combined with other publicly protected lands in the Puente-Chino Hills area, is a biodiversity hotspot for a number of flora and fauna, even though it is less than 30 minutes by car from downtown L.A. The land of the Habitat Authority is bisected by Harbor Boulevard, a 4-lane road that carries approximately 30,000 vehicles per day at speeds of up to 50 MPH

I agree stjr, it won't do any of those things...

HOWEVER

This is a great start in the First Coast Area, and something in broad use elsewhere in Florida as well as other more environment friendly states.

State Road 9B will initially be constructed as a four-lane concrete divided highway, but is expandable to eight lanes. In addition to several overpasses of roads and waterways, a wildlife crossing will be included under the Powers Bay Relief Bridge, with wildlife fencing to keep animals off the roadway and guide them to the crossing.

If we don't cheer any other part of I-795, we should ALL cheer for this little detail. We should also make a lot of noise to see these crossings and directional fences retro-fitted to many area roadways, here are a few examples:

Collins Road both East and West of the Ortega River, where it slices through the wetlands between Roosevelt and Blanding. The River bridge is old and too low (especially if JTA would take note of it being one of the few places where Water Transit would make all the sense in the world. So perhaps a new slightly higher improved Collins road with fencing would have animal underpass, bridge, animal underpass...

Throughout locations in Cecil Commerce Center.

International Golf Parkway, through 12 Mile Swamp, in St. Johns County.

Several locations along Hecksher Drive.

Pottsburg Creek and Julington Creek Greenway crossings.

Green Cove Springs Hammock Preserve, in Clay County.

Anyone who has not seen one of these critter corridors in action, take the trip out to UNF on a sunny weekend day and drive through the "Sawmill Preserve".  Another great section of these is found in Seminole County where highway 46 cuts between Sanford and Sorrento, over the Wekiva River, and it's BEAR MIGRATION and wildlife preserve.  The one in Seminole keeps getting better and better, with more fencing and underpasses...

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

Critter passageways should be an integeral part of any highway system, especially in the boondocks......I offer "Aligator Alley" as an example and that is not the only one by far! My issue is with 9B and the use of stimulus funds (our tax dollars once again!) for something that does not help anyone out other than developers and the trucking industry! Sorry tufsu, but you won't convince me otherwise!