$7.7 million to widen Kernan?

[Traveller]

From a 2007 Daily Record article...

The City of Jacksonville plans to realign Kernan Boulevard by widening First Coast Technology Parkway to six lanes and reconfiguring portions of First Coast Technology Parkway to permit is substitution as Kernan Boulevard.

First Coast Technology Parkway will remain where it is now, but it will be widened and will serve as the new Kernan Boulevard once the project is complete. The current Kernan Boulevard will then become an internal road on UNF's campus.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=48778

Expanding on the topic just a little bit, I recently saw a transportation map that showed Kernan extending south of JTB and meeting up with the Gate & Baymeadows intersection just east of 9A/295.  Anyone know when (or if) this is expected to occur?

[Tacachale]

The Kernan widening at UNF is actually a rerouting to move Kernan to what's now First Coast Tech Parkway. This has been the plan for years; as it is now, Kernan is unfinished as the improved section (with the multi-use path) abruptly ends as it gets to UNF - before it gets to JTB. The article isn't clear; the Parkway is the part that's currently two lanes; that current stretch of Kernan is four.

The former First Coast Tech Parkway property is already part of UNF; this project would reroute Kernan so that it no longer cuts through the campus. It would also mean UNF can finally work on connecting the campus pedestrian/bike infrastructure to Kernan. This was supposed to be part of the BJP and UNF has already given millions of dollars for our portion of it. The Kernan/JTB interchange is a disaster at rush hour, especially if you're going east, and that won't change until this gets done.

So then these monies would be used to widen FCTP that runs in front of the old AOL Building and effectively rename this stretch of roadway as Kernan?  Will the current 'Kernan' be closed to vehicular traffic b/w the UNF entrance and the signalized intersection now?  Do you have any renderings of what that plan looks like?  How much did UNF contribute?

Yes, the $7.7 million project between UNF and JTB referenced in the article is presumably the rerouting. As part of it the intersection would be reworked, FCTP would be widened to six lanes with a multi-use path (as with the rest of Kernan) and "Current Kernan" (the existing 4-lane segment) would essentially be a campus road. There's a drawing of it in the 2010-2020 master plan The planned road drawing on p. 67here, but my understanding is it's had to be reworked again. UNF has contributed at least $3 million dollars last I heard.

Lake, the Kernan/JTB interchange is being reworked as part of the completion of Kernan. Traveller, I don't think Kernan is supposed to be extended south as the Hodges land won't be developed.

[thelakelander]

At one point there was a proposal to connect Kernan with Baymeadows.  It was supposed to be done as a part of a development that was proposed during the boom years of the last decade.  That development never materialized so the connection didn't as well.

[tufsu1]

from what I understand, they added $7.7 muillion last night for the project....the total quoted by CM Clark was closer to $13 million....includes re-routing the road all the way down to JTB

[thelakelander]

Hmm. Glad we aren't already in debt or cutting funding from other sources.  I've read Tacachale's explanation of this project's history and what it does for UNF but I don't know if I'd rank it as a higher priority than several of the other things being tossed around right now.  Seriously, they were considering closing the main library on Saturdays but shifting nearly $8 million to a road relocation project?

[fieldafm]

I don't think Kernan is supposed to be extended south as the Hodges land won't be developed.

My impression was that they aren't interested in developing that land at this time.  The last offer represented a very high premium on that land.  I suspect you wouldn't get a DRI type deal viable on this site for another 5 years.  There is already a large 3,000 home development that will break ground in the next 1-2 years on the opposite side of Atlantic.  I just don't see demand for single family homes warranting another 4,000-5,000 home master planned community breaking ground so soon.

Is UNF fielding anymore offers for the land at the traffic signal?  Seems that would be well positioned for another multi-family development before the financing for that starts to dry up (which it will relatively soon).

[Tacachale]

Hmm. Glad we aren't already in debt or cutting funding from other sources.  I've read Tacachale's explanation of this project's history and what it does for UNF but I don't know if I'd rank it as a higher priority than several of the other things being tossed around right now.  Seriously, they were considering closing the main library on Saturdays but shifting nearly $8 million to a road relocation project?

It's definitely hard to argue with that. However, this is one that definitely needs to get done at some point. Beyond what the rerouting would do for UNF, the unimproved section of Kernan is a huge pain for anyone who has to take it. The improved section just ends before JTB and drops down 2 lanes. And the interchange is a total cluster at rush hour. It's even worse for cyclists, as that great multi-use path abruptly dumps you onto the roadway a good half mile before the UNF entrance.

Things are only going to get worse (especially for pedestrians and bikers, but drivers too) if UNF ends up going forward with developments in the old First Coast Tech Park property before the rerouting occurs.

I don't think Kernan is supposed to be extended south as the Hodges land won't be developed.

My impression was that they aren't interested in developing that land at this time.  The last offer represented a very high premium on that land.  I suspect you wouldn't get a DRI type deal viable on this site for another 5 years.  There is already a large 3,000 home development that will break ground in the next 1-2 years on the opposite side of Atlantic.  I just don't see demand for single family homes warranting another 4,000-5,000 home master planned community breaking ground so soon.

Is UNF fielding anymore offers for the land at the traffic signal?  Seems that would be well positioned for another multi-family development before the financing for that starts to dry up (which it will relatively soon).

Re the property south of JTB, that's my understanding too. As for the land at the traffic signal, which do you mean? The land west of the northern FCTP signal is owned by the university but there aren't specific development plans yet. As for the land at the southern signal, I don't know. I know UNF has looked into acquiring it but I don't know any details.

[spuwho]

From a 2007 Daily Record article...

The City of Jacksonville plans to realign Kernan Boulevard by widening First Coast Technology Parkway to six lanes and reconfiguring portions of First Coast Technology Parkway to permit is substitution as Kernan Boulevard.

First Coast Technology Parkway will remain where it is now, but it will be widened and will serve as the new Kernan Boulevard once the project is complete. The current Kernan Boulevard will then become an internal road on UNF's campus.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=48778

Expanding on the topic just a little bit, I recently saw a transportation map that showed Kernan extending south of JTB and meeting up with the Gate & Baymeadows intersection just east of 9A/295.  Anyone know when (or if) this is expected to occur?

It was proposed when a regional mall developer was looking at doing a build out in Jacksonville on the SE corner of JTB/295. That died when Ben Carter came along on the NW corner.

DCPS looked at the same parcel when they were shopping land for a new high school. Atlantic Coast HS ended up farther south on 295.

The stretch of Kernan which did not get completed due to BJP running dry was between Atlantic and Wonderwood.  Portions were done to support the new Atlantic overpass and when they built out Waterleaf Elementary farther north.  But the rest is strictly 2 lane. There are a couple of lights, but there are 3 developments that exit/enter only through Kernan and the residents have long complained of the risky business in the morning to get out. In the evening its the opposite as it get bumper to bumper for people going north. (and why wouldn't it? 3 lanes each way to just one). Since Waterleaf is expanding behind the JEA Ridenour Water Plant, the pressure on Kernan north of Atlantic will only grow.

When they finished the 295 North to JTB East exit, they essentially crammed 2 lanes of merging traffic on top of people trying to reach Kernan. It should have been converted to a circular exit past the bridge to allow more time to merge and keep people from being blocked down on Kernan.  Fortunately the Kernan ramp is quite long, since it used to be a toll booth ramp. But not as short as the Hodges ramp which spills back onto JTB during rush hour.

Kernan has no issues with ROW as it is aligned with a major JEA ROW north of Beach and has plenty of room. I look forward to them extending that multi-purpose paved pedestrian trail all the way to Wonderwood.

The property on Beach & Kernan is back for sale again.