State to make Wednesday announcement on Outer Beltway

[thelakelander]

The Florida Department of Transportation, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown will be making a major transportation announcement Wednesday morning.

State officials declined to say what the announcement is, but it will occur at Branan Field Road and Oak Leaf Plantation in Clay County. The state has previously made announcements about the First Coast Outer Beltway at this location.

Earlier this year the state abandoned plans to have a private partner build the entire 46.5-mile toll road from Interstate 10 in Duval County to Interstate 95 in St. Johns County.

The state now wants someone to build only a 15-mile portion of the road and will worry about getting the rest built later.

No private companies are willing to spend the estimated $1.8 billion it will cost to build the entire road. It would have been a tollway, so the builder could have made back the investment.

The state is now looking  for a private company to take the existing Branan Field Road, which would be part of the Outer Beltway, and turn it into a four-lane toll road from I-10 to Blanding Boulevard. Estimates have this costing about $250 million to $300 million.

full article: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400669/larry-hannan/2011-08-15/state-make-wednesday-announcement-outer-beltway

[thelakelander]

Maybe the State is deciding to build it themselves, regardless of costs?  If so, can we have that money for Jaxport instead?  After all, infrastructure funding is limited and Jaxport is our top priority!

[north miami]

The Brannan Chaffe section from Blanding Blvd. north on up past Old Jennings sure looks beat up,Third World-only a project like this could improve the corridor and that special Clay County living.

[tufsu1]

The Brannan Chaffe section from Blanding Blvd. north on up past Old Jennings sure looks beat up,Third World-only a project like this could improve the corridor and that special Clay County living.

huh?

the part from Blanding to Old Jennings is a newly built 4 lane road...and the pavement condition is fine.

Note that the Beltway will swing west off the Branan Field ROW at Old Jennings and follow the powerlines down to Blanding

[iMarvin]

I don't think the Outer Beltway is needed but I'm pretty sure it will get built. If it does get built, then I say take it all the way to Yulee and call it I-495 or I-695.

On a side note, New World Ave (between Normandy and SR 23) is one of the nicest landscaped roads in Jacksonville.

[tufsu1]

from the article...

"A previous study estimated between 12,000 and 30,000 cars on that section of road per day if a 20-cent toll was charged. But that study focused on the entire roadway and didn't estimate how much money would be generated with a 15-mile road."

that was a $0.20 per mile toll

The regional model forecasts around 30,000 cars per day in 2035 on the expressway around the Normandy/103rd area....and as much as 80,000 per day around Oakleaf...and that is with the tolls.

Now caveat that with the fact that the model also has land use assumptions consistent with adopted plans that include the roadway.

[thelakelander]

I don't think the Outer Beltway is needed but I'm pretty sure it will get built. If it does get built, then I say take it all the way to Yulee and call it I-495 or I-695.

On a side note, New World Ave (between Normandy and SR 23) is one of the nicest landscaped roads in Jacksonville.

Where would the $3 to $4 billion come from the build it?  We could literally redevelop most of the city for that price tag.  That's a steep price to pay for the sole purpose of seeing a pretty nice loop drawn on a map or from the window of an airplane.

[iMarvin]

I don't think the Outer Beltway is needed but I'm pretty sure it will get built. If it does get built, then I say take it all the way to Yulee and call it I-495 or I-695.

On a side note, New World Ave (between Normandy and SR 23) is one of the nicest landscaped roads in Jacksonville.

Where would the $3 to $4 billion come from the build it?  We could literally redevelop most of the city for that price tag.  That's a steep price to pay for the sole purpose of seeing a pretty nice loop drawn on a map or from the window of an airplane.

I don't know. I just think that if we're going to build this beltway through Duval, Clay, and St. Johns, then we need to build it in Nassau too. I'm not saying build it with the rest of it, but get the ROW. There's gonna be a need for it eventually.

[thelakelander]

We already have US 301 making this path now, so no need for new ROW for a duplicate.  As for the southern half, I can't imagine FDOT or a private entity financing the entire thing.  There are far better ways to light money on fire.  However, it wouldn't be too far of a stretch for FDOT to build the first section themselves.  After all, they've already paid for a new overpass in Oakleaf and seem hell bent on getting something underway.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Well, at $38.7M/mile to build it and 30k cars X .20/mile = $6k/day in revenue, $37.8M/mile / 6k/day/mile = 6,450 Days for zero balance = 17.7 years for zeor balance.  I'd say sign me up - I'll write a check today.

I should finally have the beast paid for in about 18 years.  Oh yeah, who's providing the maintenance to said road while I wait on my payday?

[tufsu1]

yep...that equals $270,000 in revenue per day (30,000 cars @ $0.20/mile for 45 miles)....so one could collect close to $100 million per year...so yes, the $1.8 Billion cost is paid for in a bit less than 20 years.

Problem is that the operations and maintenance on said road would likely be close to $50 million a year...so we could  recoup the investment and start turning a profit in something like 35 years...awesome!

[iMarvin]

We already have US 301 making this path now, so no need for new ROW for a duplicate.  As for the southern half, I can't imagine FDOT or a private entity financing the entire thing.  There are far better ways to light money on fire.  However, it wouldn't be too far of a stretch for FDOT to build the first section themselves.  After all, they've already paid for a new overpass in Oakleaf and seem hell bent on getting something underway.

Yeah, I don't see the thing being built anytime soon but I know it will be built. And now that I looked at 301, I don't think it would cost that much to add two lanes from that area up to 95 or US 17.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Well, since I'm a private investor that just happens to own his own civil engineering firm and construction company, I'll be paying myself all of the revenue, citing losses for maintenance and other 'undisclosed' issues, I'll settle with a handsome payment from FDOT for twice the amount it costs me to maintain my road - and now I have 4 differenct revenue streams - tolls, engineering assesments, construction contracts and FDOT assistance -  to purchase my large home, expansive farm - oh yeah, and fill that big envelope that goes to a po box in tallahassee every year around christmas.

[adamh0903]

[/quote]

Yeah, I don't see the thing being built anytime soon but I know it will be built. And now that I looked at 301, I don't think it would cost that much to add two lanes from that area up to 95 or US 17.


[/quote]

This is getting ready to start...

US 301 Add lanes from the Duval County line to the four-lane just south of Callahan including replacing the Funk’s Creek Bridge (14 miles). Anderson Columbia Company of Lake City and Horizon/IDA should begin with the design in the Fall of 2011 and finish with the construction in 1,200 days (Fall of 2014) at a cost of $59,559,000.00 (includes adding lanes in Duval County from a point where the future Baldwin bypass intersects to the Nassau County line for a total of 17 miles). (4295511) http://www.dot.state.fl.us/publicinformationoffice/construc/pdf%20files/NASSAU.pdf

Although its a little confusing whether or not its going to be 6' bike lanes on each side or 4 lanes.. And to think they just finished resurfacing this stretch of road in the spring. talk about a waste of money.

[fsujax]

I thought this was interesting only 3 comments so far on the TU site about the Outer Beltway announcement and 77 on the streetcar story.