FDOT Public meeting Tuesday on extending First Coast Expressway to U.S. 90

[thelakelander]

The extension of the First Coast Expressway (State Road 23) from Interstate 10 to U.S. 90 (Beaver Street) will be discussed at a public information meeting scheduled for Tuesday by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

The meeting will be at the Holiday Inn Express located at 537 Chaffee Point Boulevard in Jacksonville. An open house will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and those interested can drop by and get their questions answered. Public comments will be taken beginning at 6:30 p.m.

FDOT proposes extending the existing roadway to U.S. 90 to reduce congestion in the existing I-10/Chaffee Road interchange area as well as the I-10 and U.S. 301 (Baldwin) interchange. The new interchange will provide better access to I-10 from the distribution centers of Publix, Winn-Dixie and other business and residential areas along U.S. 90. It will also improve access to Cecil Commerce Center.

The proposed interchange is estimated to cost $51 million and scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2015.

More information is available by contacting FDOT project manager Jeff Daugharty at 904-360-5575 or by e-mail at jeff.daugharty@dot.state.fl.us.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status.

[southsider1015]

Did anyone attend?  If so, any thoughts?

[acme54321]

I kind of wondered why they didnt do this from the start.  No complaints from me, I can get to WW faster.

[thelakelander]

I didn't attend but it seems to make sense. There are several distribution centers on Beaver Street and if we're lucky, we'll land more.  IMO, it's better to keep as much truck traffic on I-10, then them going through Baldwin or on Chaffee Road to access their destinations.

[jcjohnpaint]

It seemed like the original plan called for this and then it was removed.  Now it is back on the plan. 

[tufsu1]

^ It has always been in the plans.  But for some reason, FDOT didn't list it as cost feasible in their 2035 Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) Plan, so it wasn't included in the North Florida TPO LRTP. 

FDOT is now planning to build the connection in the next few years which warranted an amendment to the LRTP.

[spuwho]

Don't they want to eventually take FL- 23 all the way north to Buccaneer Trail and eventually over to I-95?

If that is the case the exit design to Beaver should accomodate a future North extension.

[jaxjaguar]

Shouldn't the JTB / 95 connection take precedence over this?

[tufsu1]

Shouldn't the JTB / 95 connection take precedence over this?

I believe it is being done first...construction on that starts next year

[tufsu1]

Don't they want to eventually take FL- 23 all the way north to Buccaneer Trail and eventually over to I-95?

If that is the case the exit design to Beaver should accomodate a future North extension.

the Northern extension is (hopefully) decades off, if ever.