FDOT Secretary to provide update on Outer Beltway

[tufsu1]

^ don't worry...there are plans to extend Collins to new outer beltway too

[thelakelander]

Interesting. Who's paying for it and what is the estimated cost of the extension and four laning to I-295?

[tufsu1]

neither has been defined yet...but its in some local and regional plans

[Ocklawaha]

Guess if we've got to build new roads around here, I'd rather see them actually better connect us with neighboring towns and cities. Just for fun, a 2 lane with a 4 lane right of way, could be built from the west end of SR-104 (Dunn Avenue) at New Kings, in a air line to the east end of Florida highway 2, in Nassau County. Yeah, it WOULD line up with Georgia 64, and the Georgia-Florida Parkway, which also will line up with I-22.  Interstate 22 (I-22), when it is completed, will follow the U.S. Highway 78 corridor along a 213-mile-long (343-kilometer) route from Memphis, Tennessee, to Birmingham, Alabama, as an Interstate Highway.  Interstate 22 will connect Interstate 240 (Tennessee) and Interstate 40 and Interstate 55 (indirectly) in the northwest with Interstate 65 and (indirectly) Interstate 20 and Interstate 59 in the southeast. Hence, I-22 will help form a freeway to connect downtown Atlanta with Birmingham, Memphis, Little Rock, and Oklahoma City. It WOULD be very lucrative to be the east coast sea port on this road! Hello? JAXPORT? Anybody Home?

The other pie-in-the-sky road wish is rather then following the curve onto the 4 lane portion of Old Middleburg, we'd introduce another curve southwest, skirting in and out of the east edge of Jennings State Forest and cutting across to 301 north of Starke. Talk about a cut-off.

I also have always wondered why the city never got back on the Commodore Point Expressway project and go ahead and extend it exactly as it comes down on Beach, with retaining walls holding a 4 lane Expressway, and 2, 2 lane distributer roads on either side, all the way to an interchange at Southside, Blvd.. Also if the Emerson Street Expressway were pushed southwest in the form of Southside Blvd, or the Arlington Expressway, not only could we 'clean up' a ugly row of seedy businesses we could link up with I-95 offering another route downtown.

Southside Blvd. could also be 'improved' to Expressway standards without much effort. at least between Beach and JTB.

JAXPORT could use a 4 lane Expressway from the Blount Island Terminals, roughly following their railroad all the way to Main Street or I-95 or US-1 or US-301... Think I-22!

HA HA! Okay, I've had my fun for the evening... LOL!

[thelakelander]

neither has been defined yet...but its in some local and regional plans

So ultimately local money that we obviously don't have.  Now, if there were no Outer Beltway, would an extension be showing up on local and regional plans as a higher priority project?  If not, I'd make the argument that an extension of Collins Road is another example of a hidden cost to taxpayers that should be added to the cost of the initial project.

[BackinJax05]

This road is a huge waste of money & resources - just like the Suncoast Parkway.

If they want to make it REALLY multimodal, how about adding a light rail line somewhere to the mix.

[thelakelander]

Not enough asphalt, oil, green overhead signs and virgin soil in the mix to seriously consider something like LRT.

[BackinJax05]

^^Touche'

[Bill Hoff]

Is anyone going to the forum today?

[tufsu1]

it isn't really a forum...more of a briefing

[fsujax]

It is a monthly meeting that the TPO holds, just happens to be at a different location today. Must be expecting larger than normal crowd.

[thelakelander]

HereI'm here. It's a pretty large crowd. The TPO is expected to vote on a resolution to support the project.

[thelakelander]

Wow. The Secretary pretty much just told the TPO to support this road as a toll today or FDOT is taking their road money elsewhere. I expect the TPO to go spread eagle. With that said, I don't think this thing is needed and its a waste of money but if they're going to build it, it better be toll.

[thelakelander]

Lots of Clay County people here. Claim they need an expressway for growth. It's their top priority project. Oh, and the tolls are intended to only fund and maintain the actual road. All other associated infrastructure costs will be on the back of local taxpayers.

[tufsu1]

several MJ posters were in the audience today....in the end, the TPO Board unanimously approved moving forward with the first phase of the Outer beltway (from I-10 to Blanding)....FDOT will be going out to bid on design/build contract next month and construction is expected to begin in March 2013