Florida 23 north at the future First Coast Expressway

Update on the Branan Field-Chaffee Expressway, well not much has changed, construction has progressed a little on the future freeway connector and interchange between Florida 23 and Interstate 10. This scene however, looks identical to December 2007. Touted as Segment 2 of the overall project, work began January 16, 2007 and is expected to be completed by next fall.

For those who have wondered, it appears that U.S. 23 still ends at U.S. 1 & 17.

Signage posted on U.S. 1 & 17 (Main Street) south at State Street includes U.S. 23 shields and a new U.S. 23 shield assembly is posted along State Street west of Laura Street.

The Southside Connector freeway is now fully open to traffic, including the interchange with Florida 115 (Arlington Expressway) at Regency Square Mall.

The freeway provides a direct connection from Florida 9A (Dames Point Bridge) southbound to the Arlington Expressway for interests to central Jacksonville.

Work progresses on the Florida 202 (J. Turner Butler Boulevard) directional interchange with Florida 9A (Future Interstate 295).

One of the two remaining signals on Florida 9A was removed earlier this year, but work still remains on completing the connecting flyover ramps. The 2009 time table for completion of the entire Florida 9A upgrade appears to be the most reasonable. See SR9A.info for more.

Nocatee Parkway (CR 210) at Crosswater Parkway.

Nocatee Parkway is a new limited-access facility carrying St. Johns and Duval County 210 around the new town of Nocatee. The parkway replaces a two-lane Palm Valley Road as the primary route between U.S. 1 at Durbin and the coast at Ponte Vedra Beach. Nocatee is a master planned community in the early building stages in undeveloped north St. Johns County. See a site plan of the town and the County 210 parkway plan here
http://www.nocatee.com/communities/pdf/TON%20Master%20Site%20and%20Driving%20Map%2003-11-08.pdf.

A large empty single point urban interchange awaits future drivers from Nocatee at Crosswater Parkway north at St. Johns County 210 (Nocatee Parkway). Crosswater Parkway is one of two roads (Coastal Ridge Boulevard being the other) that will connect Nocatee Parkway with the new town.

Nocatee Parkway otherwise provides a high-speed connection with the Palm Valley Bridge (Intracoastal Waterway) to the east and U.S. 1 to the west. A future interchange with U.S. 1 and Racetrack Road is planned as part of Phase 2 (Racetrack Road Extension) with work underway already at the east end. A future extension may bring the county road freeway to Interstate 95.

Another St. Johns County project touted for the future is the First Coast Outer Beltway. In conjunction with the Branan Field-Chaffee Expressway, the beltway will provide a commuter route from west Jacksonville south to Green Cove Springs and east to Interstate 95 in northern St. Johns County. The route, now planned as a toll highway south of the Florida 23 portion at Blanding Boulevard, will utilize the existing Florida 16 crossing at Green Cove Springs (pictured here). Construction on this project, given the rise of steel and concrete prices worldwide, is likely 10-20 years away.

Florida 16 crossing the St. Johns River.

I-95 south across the Trout Bridge.

The Trout River Bridge replacement project mentioned in a January 2007 blog post is now complete. The new bridges travel much higher than the previous twin spans. Additionally, the added capacity works with the adjacent six-laning project of Interstate 95 from the river north to Interstate 295. This project began March 7, 2005 and is essentially complete.

Another project underway along Interstate 95 is the upgrade of the directional-cloverleaf interchange between the freeway and Jacksonville’s Beltway (Interstate 295 west / Florida 9A east). Underway is the phase 1 building of a new flyover from Interstate 95 south to Florida 9A (Future Interstate 295 south). Phase 2 consists of building a new Florida 9A northbound ramp to Interstate 95 north. Additional work will widen Florida 9A to six lanes from Interstate 95 to U.S. 17 and provide initial work on six-laning of Interstate 295 leading west. Work began October 1, 2007 on the three-year project.

Sign crews got a jump start on the eventual Florida 9A resigning to Interstate 295 in the form of new Exit 362 overheads along Interstate 95 north as signs already display the Florida 9A section as Interstate 295, with both ramp signage gaining the designation “East or West Beltway”.

Still a lot of work to be completed at the Interstate 10, Interstate 95, U.S. 17, and Florida 228 interchange west of downtown Jacksonville.

Some of the flyovers are nearing completion (I-95 nb to I-10 wb, I-95 sb to I-10 wb), while others consist of just support structures. It looks as if a temporary configuration will be utilized with the newest flyovers before crews complete the remaining bridge and roadway work. This 10-phase project began in February 2005 and will be completed by Spring 2011. Phases 1 through 3 are complete while phases 4 and 5 are underway. View a map of the phases here http://www.thebigi.info/images/PHASES%20BOARD02-larger.gif. Additional information on the project, dubbed the Big I (not to be confused with Albuquerque’s 2003 Big I project), is available at http://www.thebigi.info/.