State Road 23 - First Coast Expressway
Another 18 miles of the First Coast Expressway opened from SR 21 (Blanding Boulevard) at Middleburg to U.S. 17 south of Green Cove Springs on August 9, 2025. - 08/12/2025
State Road 23 (First Coast Expressway) runs 18 miles northwest from U.S. 17 near Green Cove Springs to SR 21 at Middleburg, and another 16.27 miles north from SR 21 (Blanding Boulevard), between Middleburg and Lakeside, to Interstate 10 at Whitehouse in Jacksonville. Construction continues to 2030 on the remainder of the 46 mile long toll road extends east from the Shands Bridge spanning the St. Johns River near Orangdale to Interstate 95 in St. Johns County.
Florida State Road 23 / First Coast Expressway Guides
The state road formerly followed Branan Field Road north to SR 134 and Chaffee Road (CR 115C), and Cecil Commerce Center Parkway, an at-grade highway built in anticipation of the tolled expressway north to I-10. Upgrades to SR 23 between Middleburg and I-10 were previously listed under the Branan Field-Chaffee Expressway name. Extensions of the route south and east from Middleburg were constructed also part of the First Coast Expressway linking SR 21 in Clay County with Interstate 95 in St. Johns County.
The northernmost stretch of SR 23 opened between SR 134 (103rd Street) and I-10 at Exit 350 on October 1, 2009. Constructed over a three year period for $62 million, the at-grade expressway (Cecil Commerce Parkway) carried two lanes from SR 134 to New World Avenue, and four lanes from New World Avenue to I-10.1 The road improved access to Cecil Commerce Park, an industrial and business park at the site of former Naval Air Station Cecil Field.
Work started on September 16, 2013 upgraded Cecil Commerce Parkway to limited access standards. The $77 million project included expansion of SR 23 to four lanes, from 103rd Street to New World Avenue, and the addition of interchanges at New World Avenue, SR 228 (Normandy Boulevard) and SR 134. Work also realigned Chaffee Road away from SR 23 to directly connect with Samaritan Way.2 This phase of construction was scheduled through Summer 2016 and continued through Fall 2018.
The second phase of work upgrading SR 23 focused on the 7.3 mile segment from Argyle Forest Boulevard south to SR 21 (Blanding Boulevard) in Middleburg. Opened to traffic in July 2018, $84.8 million in construction between May 2014 and late 2016 Fall 2018 added a second roadway to SR 23. Upgrades extended from near Argyle Forest Boulevard south to Blanding Boulevard, including the addition of a diamond interchange at Argyle Forest Boulevard. This work was preceded by a $13.2 million project to build frontage roads from Oak Leaf Plantation Parkway south to Old Jennings Road.2
Other work along the First Coast Expressway included the addition of ramps from Interstate 10 at SR 23 to U.S. 90 (Beaver Street) to enhance access to industrial sites along the US route. The 1.64 mile long extension of SR 23 north to U.S. 90 opened to traffic on September 18, 2018.
Construction on the next section of the First Coast Expressway was partitioned into two segments. Work on FCE [First Coast Expressway] Segment 2, from SR 21 (Blanding Boulevard) south to U.S. 17 in Green Cove Springs, started in January 2019. Split in two two phases, work on the northern section of Segment 2 was scheduled through 2025, with the southern segment, from north of SR 16 to U.S. 17, estimated for completion in Spring 2026. Both sections opened ahead of schedule, simultaneously on August 9, 2025. However ramps connecting SR 16 with SR 23 south and from the First Coast Expressway north to SR 16 remained closed because construction is not yet complete (Govino, 2025). Work also continues along the toll road east from U.S. 17 to SR 16 ahead of the Shands Bridge.
Design work, permitting and right-of-way acquisitions for FCE Segment 3 were underway through 2020. Construction was forecast to begin in 2023 on the extension of SR 23 east across the St. Johns River at the Shands Bridge (SR 16) to Interstate 95 in St. Johns County. Grading and land clearing got underway for the Shands Bridge replacement at that time. Full completion of the 46 mile long loop is expected by 2030 (Govino, 2025).
There are three remaining sections of the First Coast Expressway to be built. Project 422938-7, including the Shands Bridge, extends from east of CR 16A Spur to east of CR 209. Project 422938-8 continues east from CR 16A Spur to a point east of CR 2209. Project 453070-1 is the segment from east of CR 2209 to Interstate 95. Construction on Project 422938-8 begin in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 while work on the link to I-95 is scheduled to begin in FY 2026.
scenes
POW-MIA Memorial Parkway north at SR 23 (First Coast Expressway). This exchange includes grading for a future loop northbound entrance ramp.
01/20/19
POW-MIA Memorial Parkway south at the diamond interchange with the First Coast Expressway.
01/20/19
A remaining I-10 trailblazer at the signalized entrance for Plantation Crossing shopping center from when SR 23 followed Branan Field Road.
08/12/25
Branan Field Road (old SR 23) intersects Old Jennings Road (CR 220) adjacent to the First Coast Expressway. The frontage road system for the toll road extends north from Old Jennings Road.
08/12/25
The first of two entrance ramps for SR 23 (First Coast Expressway) northbound from Challenger Drive joins the toll road beyond the Whisper Creek subdivision.
08/12/25
Trail Ridge Road extends west from Challenger Drive north at Atlantis Drive to the Two Creeks suburban area. Entrance ramps to SR 23 lie further north.
08/12/25
Kindlewood Drive spurs east from Challenger Drive (old SR 23) to the Kindlewood subdivision beyond this remaining trailblazer for Interstate 10.
08/12/25
A Texas style U-turn connects Challenger Drive north with Discovery Drive south leading back to the SR 23 southbound entrance ramp.
08/12/25
Oakleaf Plantation Parkway ties into the First Coast Expressway frontage road system east from the Oakleaf Plantation development. Challenger Drive ends here at the entrance ramp for SR 23 northbound.
08/12/25
The westbound roadway for Oakleaf Plantation Parkway crosses the eastbound roadway at Discovery Drive adjacent to the southbound lanes along SR 23.
08/12/25
Discovery Drive heads 1.1 miles south from Oakleaf Plantation Parkway and Exit 35 to the entrance ramp for SR 23 to Middleburg and Green Cove Springs.
08/12/25
References:
- "Cecil parkway in Jacksonville opens Thursday." The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville), September 30, 2009.
- Branan-Field Chaffee Expressway.
http://firstcoastexpressway.com/BFCExpress/Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) project web site. - First Coast Expressway - Phase 1, fact sheet.
http://firstcoastexpressway.com/BFCExpress/documents/fcexpressway-fact-sheet-final.pdfFlorida Department of Transportation (FDOT) project web site. - Govino, Y. (2025, August 8) New segment of First Coast Expressway opens ahead of schedule in Clay County Action News Jax. https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/new-segment-first-coast-expressway-opens-ahead-schedule-clay-county/AR2GYCE7FVEUXPOZVTRVF37WAY/
Photo Credits:
- Brent Ivy: 01/20/19
- Alex Nitzman: 08/12/25
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Page Updated Wednesday August 13, 2025.