(St. Johns) Added lanes to ease traffic woes on C.R. 210

[Jason]

Added lanes to ease traffic woes on C.R. 210

By DAVID BAUERLEIN   |   More by this reporter  |  Morris News Service   |   Posted: Monday, October 20, 2008 ; Updated: 12:46 AM on Monday, October 20, 2008

St. Johns County plans to start work this month on building more exit lanes for Interstate 95 at County Road 210 so motorists won't be stuck in the breakdown lane while waiting to get off the highway.

Adding more lanes at the junction of I-95 and Country Road 210 was supposed to be done by the developer of Twin Creeks, a large-scale project planned for land between I-95 and U.S. 1. But the developer has faced financial problems complicated by the slumping real estate market.

"They're stuck and I don't know whether they can get unstuck," said County Commission Chairwoman Cyndi Stevenson, whose district covers the northwest part of the county.

She said the need for a fix at the interchange is too urgent to wait for the developer. The county and state Department of Transportation will jointly fund the work.

Drivers exiting southbound I-95 at County Road 210 now come to a stop on the highway, forcing them to shift onto the paved shoulder in a long, bumper-to-bumper line.

Motorists have complained it's a dangerous situation because other cars are whipping past them at highway speeds.

The state installed signs in 2005 warning drivers to look out for stopped vehicles as they approached the exit from 4 to 7 p.m.

St. Johns County Public Works Director Joe Stephenson said the $4.8 million construction contract will build two more lanes along I-95 south.

The first lane will start 4,000 feet from the County Road 210 exit. The second lane will start 2,000 feet from the exit. The project also will add lanes for the exit ramp.

He said the project also will create a second left-hand turn lane for eastbound traffic on County Road 210. That will be for commuters leaving northwest St. Johns County and heading north on I-95 to work. Stephenson said the on-ramp also will get a second lane.

However, he said the traffic will have to merge into a single lane before it reaches I-95.

He said the county hopes to eventually add another lane to I-95 so drivers can enter the highway more easily, but for now, the Federal Highway Administration did not agree to that change.

The construction will take a year.

Source: http://staugustine.com/stories/102008/news_102008_007.shtml

[copperfiend]

The next Blanding Blvd.

[Joe]

She said the need for a fix at the interchange is too urgent to wait for the developer. The county and state Department of Transportation will jointly fund the work.

This one little statement really highlights all the bullsh*t involved in Florida's road planning.

According to Florida law, adequate public infrastructure must be in place or planned before building permits can be granted. Obviously, that wasn't the case. The county negligently allowed building beyond capacity, and then expected the next wave of private money to cover up for their mistakes. Of course, then they try to fix everything with more public spending - thereby just creating another subsidy for the sprawl.

Maybe we wouldn't have such a problem with overbuilding and sprawl, if the government stopped bailing people out with constant taxpayer funded road improvements

[Jason]

Yeah, SJC definitely dropped the ball in regards to planning the 210 corridor.  IMO, all of the northwest quadrant of the county is poorly connected and poorly planned.

[Ocklawaha]

Yeah, SJC definitely dropped the ball in regards to planning the 210 corridor.  IMO, all of the northwest quadrant of the county is poorly connected and poorly planned.

25 years ago it was still black pasture and scattered farms. The roads were simply designed to get the product or people to the market. I don't think any of us could forsee the coming wave of development that swept south of the county line. Mandarin had a yellow flashing light and a tiny country supermarket. The tracks from the old Mandarin train were still in the parking lot. I think this was a landslide that no one could plan for.

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

The pattern of suburban sprawl development heading towards the county line was clearly evident 20 years ago.  By that time, original auto dependant suburban areas like Emerson/Philips, Normandy and Arlington had began to decline.  At the same time newer areas like Baymeadows became the latest and greatest areas to live, shop and dine in.  This pattern of development, which has now moved into northern St. Johns County, did not happen over night.  It was a movement that picked up steam when the core became undesirable and new highway construction opened up cheap land for development.  For whatever reason, we failed to pick up and properly plan for it.  This shows the importance of long range visioning and making sure every project built, gets us closer to that vision.

[Joe]

I remember that tiny country supermarket, Ock. My mom used to drag me there. I grew up in Mandarin, and my grandparents lived in NW St Johns, so I was always very aware of the massive development that was exploding all around me - even as a little kid.

If memory serves me, the explosions of development usually came right after a government funded road expansion. They widened 295. Then they widened San Jose from Baymeadows to 295. They they widened San Jose from 295 to the county line. Then they widened Julington Creek Bridge. etc. etc.

[Ocklawaha]

Yup! The owner of that little market Joe Curry, nearly single handedly defeated the Dames Point Bridge. I now wonder if he played a part in killing the 20Th street bridge and the JTB-103rd? The guy was a fighter. Loved his style but didn't like his point of view. The biggest NIMBY in the COJ.

OCKLAWAHA