I'm down in St. Augustine visiting my parents and drove FL 9B the other day. It's completely finished and interstate standard. It has been pegged to become I-795 now for quite some time, but looking at news articles, nothing has been posted about it since 2018. What are they waiting for to change the designation?
Chris
Quote from: jayhawkco on January 01, 2021, 09:14:29 PM
I'm down in St. Augustine visiting my parents and drove FL 9B the other day. It's completely finished and interstate standard. It has been pegged to become I-795 now for quite some time, but looking at news articles, nothing has been posted about it since 2018. What are they waiting for to change the designation?
Chris
Your guess is as good as mine. I've been living in the area since late 2017 and also wonder if plans for interstate designation are on the back-burner for now or if they actually fell apart for unknown reasons.
Hell to freeze over, that's what they're waiting for! In reality, I wouldn't be surprised if the roadway is always signed as FL 9B, and the Interstate 795 designation remains unposted. It wouldn't be the first 3-digit Interstate to not have any signage.
why does this road even exist at all? it looks completely useless.
Connects to an eastern bypass of Jacksonville as well as a shortcut to the beaches.
Chris
Quote from: silverback1065 on January 02, 2021, 09:03:13 PM
why does this road even exist at all? it looks completely useless.
To enhance more development.
But there's already 2 interstates there, was this really worth it?
Pixel 5
Especially driving southbound, it's surprisingly more convenient than staying on I-295 and going around the cloverleaf-style loop ramp when you get back to I-95. I kind of thought the same about it appearing pointless until it opened and we actually used it. The I-95/I-295 interchange there is busy enough anyway that the new road alleviates some of that volume.
Here is a little bit of history (as taken from our research and placed on the I-795 Florida (https://www.interstate-guide.com/i-795-fl/) Interstate Guide page) that will hopefully answer some questions:
Back in August 1986, 4.6 miles SR 9B, along with 25.1 miles of SR 9A (Eastern Beltway) were approved by FHWA as future interstate additions. As part of the agreement for the approval, a condition was set that these future freeways be built by an August 2011 deadline (a span of 25 years). As we know, SR 9A was constructed in phases during those 25 years. In September 2008, FDOT followed up with FHWA on the approval of I-295 along SR 9A and the designation of I-795 for the part of SR 9B between I-95 and I-295. I-795/SR 9B was even referenced in the March 2009 AASHTO application for I-295 along the Eastern Beltway. In October 2010, FHWA sent FDOT a letter again granting approval for I-295, per the 1986 agreement. Since the first segment of SR 9B didn't open until September 2013, it obviously didn't meet the original 2011 deadline of the 1986 agreement/approval, hence why it didn't initially get signed once completed.
For some reason, FDOT District 2 still has not formally submitted a new application for the I-795 designation. This was the latest response I received from an email sent April 20, 2020: "There are currently no developments to share at this time. I recommend following up spring of 2021." I even used my work email address (I work for FDOT District 7) and got a vague response. So, I will send another email in late March to see if I get a better answer. Luckily I have a different contact versus last year, so I will be using that person instead...
I was hoping that FL 9B would get decommissioned like FL 9A was during the I-295 conversion, but my guess is that I-795 will be an unsigned route.
I believe the FL 9A designation along the Interstate 295 beltway is now a hidden designation, not a decommissioned designation. I'm sure that when/if Interstate 795 is signposted along FL 9B, the 9B designation will also become a hidden designation, rather than a decommissioned one.
Quote from: Henry on January 12, 2021, 11:03:39 AM
I was hoping that FL 9B would get decommissioned like FL 9A was during the I-295 conversion, but my guess is that I-795 will be an unsigned route.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on January 12, 2021, 03:32:14 PM
I believe the FL 9A designation along the Interstate 295 beltway is now a hidden designation, not a decommissioned designation. I'm sure that when/if Interstate 795 is signposted along FL 9B, the 9B designation will also become a hidden designation, rather than a decommissioned one.
SR 9A remains as the hidden designation of Interstate 295. You can verify this by looking at the FDOT Straight Line Diagrams (SLDs). The one for the original section of I-295: https://fdotewp1.dot.state.fl.us/slogis/blank.aspx?docId=30691
So whenever FDOT gets around to petitioning FHWA for redesignating SR 9B as I-795, 9B would remain as the hidden state road number.
And FWIW, there's a second segment of SR 9A coupled with Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade. https://fdotewp1.dot.state.fl.us/slogis/blank.aspx?docId=74931
Quote from: Alex on January 14, 2021, 09:39:30 AM
Quote from: Henry on January 12, 2021, 11:03:39 AM
I was hoping that FL 9B would get decommissioned like FL 9A was during the I-295 conversion, but my guess is that I-795 will be an unsigned route.
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on January 12, 2021, 03:32:14 PM
I believe the FL 9A designation along the Interstate 295 beltway is now a hidden designation, not a decommissioned designation. I'm sure that when/if Interstate 795 is signposted along FL 9B, the 9B designation will also become a hidden designation, rather than a decommissioned one.
SR 9A remains as the hidden designation of Interstate 295. You can verify this by looking at the FDOT Straight Line Diagrams (SLDs). The one for the original section of I-295: https://fdotewp1.dot.state.fl.us/slogis/blank.aspx?docId=30691
So whenever FDOT gets around to petitioning FHWA for redesignating SR 9B as I-795, 9B would remain as the hidden state road number.
And FWIW, there's a second segment of SR 9A coupled with Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade. https://fdotewp1.dot.state.fl.us/slogis/blank.aspx?docId=74931
Well, that makes more sense, aside from the fact that 9B is still signed but 9A is now hidden.