A.G. Gancarski
On Monday, the Jacksonville City Council Transportation, Energy, and Utilities committee approved road projects to the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization. If passed by the full council next week, this list will comprise the first such recommendations in five years.
Eight road improvement projects and four bridge restorations are part of the project list. This list is a recommendation of projects for a larger list of 20 projects from the North Florida TPO, which will ultimately be voted on by the TPO in September.
The road improvements include interchange redesign at the Butler Boulevard/San Pablo Road intersection; a new two-lane alignment on Cemetery Road in District 7; a “five-lane urban section” on US-1 in District 10; ramp improvements at I-95 and Baymeadows; an interchange redesign at the Butler/Gate Parkway intersection, and another one at Gate Parkway/Southside Boulevard; construction and updated design of a four-lane section on Old Middleburg Road; and an interchange redesign at 295/Collins Road.
The bridge projects include a replacement on Jork Road in District 5; replacement on Old Kings Road over the Little Trout River; a bridge widening on Deerwood Park Boulevard; and an improvement on Lakeside Drive over the Ortega River canal.
The discussion was not without some back-and-forth between members of the council committee and the executive branch.
Jacksonville City Council Vice President John Crescimbeni chastised the administration for not presenting the list to the members of the council in a timely manner earlier in the spring to get their feedback.
Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa, meanwhile, said “we will heed more advanced notice. Unfortunately, when we came in last summer, there were a lot of things in the backlog, but you can only get to so many things so quickly.”
Mousa vowed a more “proactive” process. That said, this is the first time in five years there has been a list at all, so that’s progress.
Council President Lori Boyer explained that the road projects are “capacity projects” and slated for 2020, whereas the bridges are from a “different pot” and “we’re making a statement that these are important.”
“We’re trying to learn all their different processes,” Boyer said, noting it was important to pick projects that DOT would find favor to fund.
“Anytime you can provide part of the money, it moves it up in priority on their list,” Boyer said, citing the importance of a city match.
The plan was approved 7-0, and will be subject to approval of the full council Tuesday Aug. 9.
