$78 million fix announced for I-95 and JTB interchange

[Metro Jacksonville]

$78 million fix announced for I-95 and JTB interchange



More road construction is headed to the Southside. Today, Governor Rick Scott, along with Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Ananth Prasad, announced an additional $78 million project to improve the safety and mobility on Interstate 95 and J. Turner Butler Boulevard.  This funding is included in Governor Scott?s Florida Families First Budget that he unveiled last month.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-feb-78-million-fix-announced-for-i-95-and-jtb-interchange

[copperfiend]

Thank god. Long overdue.

[tufsu1]

oh boy...I'm so excited!!!!

[dougskiles]

This is one road project I can live with, and is overdue.  I can't say the same about some of the others they are cooking up...

The question is - will this become part of the "Lexus Lane" system?  I wouldn't mind seeing that either.  Keep the existing interchange for those who don't want to pay and allow the flyover for those who do.

[thelakelander]

I can live with this one as well, although I still believe there should be a bike/ped component to offer the possibility of connecting both sides of I-95 in Southpoint. I hope it's toll so it will at least get the taxpayer some form of ROI. This was the old $125 million JTA plan.  It sounds like the state's $78 million plan might be somewhat different.

[fsujax]

it's a scaled down version of the JTA designed one.

[cline]

I can live with this one as well, although I still believe there should be a bike/ped component to offer the possibility of connecting both sides of I-95 in Southpoint. I hope it's toll so it will at least get the taxpayer some form of ROI. This was the old $125 million JTA plan.  It sounds like the state's $78 million plan might be somewhat different.

Do we know if there is any sort of bike/ped component?

[peestandingup]

Yeah, but how in the world will it make money??

[thelakelander]

Do we know if there is any sort of bike/ped component?

Doubt it.  It's a watered down version of JTA's plan and JTA's plan did not include a bike/ped component.

[thelakelander]

Here's FDOT's plan for the I-95/JTB interchange:

[spuwho]

This is an incremental update, not the full replacement JTA sought. At least they will have something in the pipeline when they start the I-95 redux between University and I-295.  It deals with the two safety issues highest.  It would be a great step if they could find a few $$ for some pedestrian access. This exit is ringed with business and hotels in 3 of the quadrants, with food services in the fourth. Prime candidate for a pedestrian friendly ring.

[Seraphs]

Over due!

[tufsu1]

The question is - will this become part of the "Lexus Lane" system?  I wouldn't mind seeing that either.  Keep the existing interchange for those who don't want to pay and allow the flyover for those who do.

the answer is no...apparently because neither I-95 or JTB are currently tolled....awesome logic!

[fieldafm]

This interchange upgrade is needed, but i don't understand why the tolled flyover was abandoned.  When Prassad sat down with the Times Union Editorial Board... he was adamant that tolls were the only way these projects made financial sense going forward in a new permanent era of limited transportation funds.  What changed b/w now and then?  A toll could partially offset maintenance costs and could payoff debt service for a pedestrian connection.  If they spend money on palm trees here, they could just as easily spend money instead on such multi-modal capacity.

[tufsu1]

Prasad has also said that all new interstate capacity and bridges would be strongly considered for tolls...and yet the $400 million I-75 widening north of Tampa and the $600 million replacement bridge on US 98 over Pensacola Bridge will be free