State Road 9B / Future Interstate 795
State Road 9B is a 7.4 mile long freeway linking I-95 and I-295 at Southside Jacksonville. The state road provides a cutoff to I-295 ahead of Baymeadows and the University of North Florida for commuters. In conjunction with the East Beltway, SR 9B also forms part of a bypass route around Downtown Jacksonville for through traffic along I-95.
State Road 9B was developed as a three phase project starting in Summer 2010. The initial phase extended south from Interstate 295 (East Beltway) to U.S. 1 (Philips Highway). This 4.6 mile long segment opened to traffic on September 20, 2013 as a local route for U.S. 1 at Greenland in Jacksonville and for the growing Nocatee community in St. Johns County. The second phase lengthened the route another half mile to complete the link with Interstate 95 near the county line. It was constructed between April 2013 and June 13, 2016.1
Construction on the third phase of SR 9B started on September 8, 2015.1 Opened in stages between August 9 and 11, 2018, the extension leads 2.3 miles beyond I-95 to County Road 2209 (St. Johns Parkway), just south of Russell Sampson Road. This $117 million segment includes a single point urban interchange with Peyton Parkway, a new one mile access road linking SR 9B with Race Track Road.2
With SR 9B complete, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) awaits approval from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to redesignate the route as Interstate 795.3
North
SR 9B branches northeast from a two-wye intersection with CR 2209 (St. Johns Parkway) in northern St. Johns County.
10/06/18
SR 9B north bends around Durbin Preserve to Exit 6. The upcoming single point urban interchange (SPUI) connects the freeway with Peyton Parkway.
10/06/18
Two lanes leave SR 9B for Peyton Parkway to nearby Race Track Road and The Pavilion at Durbin Park lifestyle center. A directional cloverleaf interchange (Exits 4 A-B) follows with Interstate 95.
10/06/18
SR 9B advances north through the Durbin Park mixed-use development a half mile to Exit 4 B for Interstate 95 south to Daytona Beach and the Space Coast.
10/06/18
Two lanes connect SR 9B north with Interstate 95 north to Downtown Jacksonville at Left Exit 4 A.
10/06/18
SR 9B provides direct access to Interstate 295 north in four miles. The East Beltway joins SR 9B with area beaches, as well as providing a bypass of Jacksonville.
10/06/18
Leading north from Interstate 95, SR 9B travels between the Bartram Springs development and the Citigroup corporate campus. A distance sign references the three Jacksonville freeways.
10/06/18
A folded diamond interchange (Exit 2) joins SR 9B with U.S. 1 (Philips Highway) adjacent to the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway by the community of Bayard.
10/06/18
U.S. 1 joins Nocatee in St. Johns County with Jacksonville as an arterial route north to Deercreek and Greenland.
10/06/18
Exit 2 loops away from SR 9B north for U.S. 1 (Philips Highway). U.S. 1 parallels I-95 north to San Marco, where the two commingle ahead of Downtown. Southward the route takes a rural course to St. Augustine.
10/06/18
A confirming marker for SR 9B north precedes the crossing over Powers Bay.
06/16/16
A diamond interchange (Exit 1) was added to SR 9B by 2015 for new development south of Interstate 295. The exchange was initially numbered Exit 4.
06/16/16
Two miles remain before SR 9B defaults onto Interstate 295 (East Beltway) north. Savannah appears here for long distance travelers using the East Beltway to bypass Downtown Jacksonville.
09/22/14
Interstate 295 points of interest include the University of North Florida (UNF) via SR 202 east, Jaxport Terminals north via SR 105 and JAX Airport via SR 243.
09/22/14
E-Town Parkway spurs west of Exit 1 and extends northward from SR 9B to R. G. Skinner Parkway alongside Interstate 295.
06/16/16
An interchange sequence sign outlines the forthcoming exits along Interstate 295 north for Deerwood, Baymeadows and the University of North Florida.
06/16/16
SR 9B converges with Interstate 295 north at a wye interchange just beyond E-Town Parkway.
09/22/14
The general travel lanes join the outside lanes of the East Beltway while the tolled Express Lane merges onto I-295 from the left.
06/16/16
South
With an erroneous gore point sign, Left Exit 58 departs from Interstate 295 (East Beltway) south onto SR 9B east of the Deercreek community in south Jacksonville.
09/25/22
The Express lane from I-295 southbound concludes along SR 9B within one mile of the diamond interchange (Exit 1) at E-Town Parkway.
09/25/22
The first confirming shield for SR 9B appears south of the wye interchange with Interstate 295.
09/25/22
The exchange (Exit 1) with E-Town Parkway was added to SR 9B in 2014-15 to accommodate new development along both sides of the freeway.
09/25/22
An interchange sequence sign posted at E-Town Parkway references just U.S. 1 (Philips Highway). Exits for Durbin Boulevard and I-95 opened as part of Phase 2 for SR 9B south on June 13, 2016.
09/25/22
The freeway spans Big Davis Creek 1.5 miles north of U.S. 1 (Philps Highway) at milepost 1. Mileposts increase as SR 9B heads south, opposite of conventional numbering.
09/25/22
The first in a series of arrow-per-lane (APL) signs references the forthcoming junction with Interstate 95 on SR 9B south by the bridge across Powers Bay.
09/25/22
SR 9B runs along the east side of Bayard, an older rural style community, to Exit 2 for U.S. 1 (Philips Highway).
09/25/22
U.S. 1 (Philips Highway) angles southeast from Greenland and Deercreek in Jacksonville to Nocatee and St. Augustine in St. Johns County. U.S. 1 parallels Interstate 95 northward to San Marco.
09/25/22
Southbound SR 9B enters a folded diamond interchange (Exit 2) with U.S. 1. U.S. 1 parallels the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway from Jacksonville south to St. Augustine.
09/25/22
Continuing south, SR 9B passes over U.S. 1 and the FEC Railway ahead of Exit 3 for Flagler Center Boulevard and the Flagler Center business park. Previous signs referenced Durbin Boulevard at Exit 3.
09/25/22
An auxiliary lane opens southbound from the U.S. 1 entrance ramp to Exit 3 for Flagler Center Boulevard to adjacent Veveras Drive. Exit 3 consists of just the southbound off-ramp.
09/25/22
Flagler Center Boulevard joins SR 9B south with Gran Bay Parkway and Old St. Augustine Road.
09/25/22
SR 9B enters the directional cloverleaf interchange (Exits 4 A/B) with Interstate 95 in a half mile.
09/25/22
The northbound entrance ramp joins Interstate 95 ahead of Greenland in south Jacksonville.
09/25/22
Left Exit 4 B departs with two lanes from SR 9B south for Interstate 95 southbound to Daytona Beach and Miami.
09/25/22
SR 9B south from Interstate 95 to CR 2209 (St. Johns Parkway) opened to traffic on August 10, 2018.
09/25/22
SR 9B crosses into northern St. Johns County at the Race Track Road underpass.
11/06/19
A confirming marker for southbound SR 9B follows.
10/06/18
Peyton Parkway joins SR 9B with the Durbin Park mixed-use development and Race Track Road ahead at a single point urban interchange (Exit 6).
11/06/19
SR 9B reduces to two southbound lanes beyond Exit 6 for Peyton Parkway. The Pavilion at Durbin Park lines the northwest quadrant of this exchange.
11/06/19
Curving southward toward CR 2209 (St. Johns Parkway) SR 9B spans Durbin Creek and Russell Sampson Road over the ensuing half mile.
10/06/18
CR 2209 (St. Johns Parkway) runs 3.15 miles south from Race Track Road to CR 210 with planned extensions taking the arterial further south into St. Johns County.
10/06/18
Traffic partitions at the south end of SR 9B comes for north and southbound CR 2209 (St. Johns Parkway).
10/06/18
Just north of SR 9B, CR 2209 (St. Johns Parkway) connects with Longleaf Pine Parkway (CR 244) west into St. Johns and Russell Sampson Road southeast to Sampson.
10/06/18
Mile marker 7 for SR 9B stands at the signalized intersection with CR 2209 (St. Johns Parkway) south.
11/06/19
References:
- State Road 9B.
http://www.nflroads.com/ SR9B/Pages/Home.aspxFlorida Department of Transportation, project web site. - "Most of 9B Extension in St. Johns County open; rest will open by Saturday" St. Augustine Record (FL) August 8, 2018.
- Email from FDOT District Two inquiring on the status of I-795, dated June 28, 2016.
Photo Credits:
- ABRoads: 09/22/14, 06/16/16, 10/06/18
- Brent Ivy: 09/25/22
- Alex Nitzman, JP Nasiatka: 11/06/19
Connect with:
Page Updated Tuesday November 15, 2022.