This stretch of eastbound Fort Caroline Road is under construction before the split where it becomes McCormick Road. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today
Published on October 15, 2024 at 12:31 pm
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Q: It’s been more than two years since construction began a busy stretch of McCormick Road in East Arlington, and Jacksonville Today reader Ken D. is frustrated about it.
“It’s actually been a mess since they completed the whole Wonderwood Road improvement years ago,” Ken says.
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“Lately, they have been tearing up sections on both lanes, excavating down, putting some type of vertical pipes in some areas and seemingly nothing in others, then filling it back up, replacing the curbs and repaving,” Ken writes.
He calls the process “a frustrating, long-play record for drivers.”
“I’m just curious what the purpose of the work is, what’s driving it and when is all of it scheduled to be complete?”
A: Ken is concerned about $30 million in resurfacing and roadway improvements along seven miles of the Fort Caroline/Mount Pleasant/McCormick Road/Wonderwood Expressway corridor from Jane Street to Sand Castle Lane. The project began in June 2022.
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Crews are excavating failing roadway installed by the city and JTA when the road was resurfaced about 20 years ago, says Sara Pleasants, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation.
The work also includes resurfacing, replacement of drainage structures as well as curb and gutter, pedestrian safety improvements and other incidental construction.
FDOT has encountered a number of “challenges” on the project, but the work remains on schedule for completion in the spring of 2025, Pleasants says
“Unfortunately, the excavation process is time- and labor-intensive, and there have been additional challenges raised by weather (including multiple hurricanes) and other unforeseen circumstances (such as the discovery of additional drainage structures that needed repair or replacement),” Pleasants says.
An estimated 22,500 vehicles a day travel on the Merrill Road part of the corridor just west of St. Johns Bluff Road, to as high as 37,000 per day on McCormick Road east of Monument Road, according to FDOT traffic counts.
Pleasants says FDOT understands that roadwork can cause temporary inconvenience as the department works toward “long-term transportation solutions.” She said the department appreciates everyone’s patience.
