Barrels line a road project at Southside and Deerwood Park boulevards. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today
Published on October 9, 2025 at 11:58 am
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Road projects are part of life for people in Jacksonville. But they can be a baffling part.
Jacksonville Today reader Lois B. questions why some road construction projects take so long.
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She has several examples, including the redesign of the Interstate 95 and Interstate 295 interchange on the city’s Northside. That project began in 2016 and won’t be done until next summer, the Florida Department of Transportation says.
“Seems like poor planning to me,” Lois says.
Among Lois’ other concerns:
- Gate Parkway and Southside Boulevard. Whoever designed a crossover U-turn and other work “should not be employed in traffic planning,” Lois says.
- Deerwood Park and Southside boulevards, where the median is badly torn up. Why don’t contractors do a better job of planning to eliminate all the mess? Lois asks.
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Overall, Lois wants to know this:
“Why are (projects) started and then left abandoned for weeks or months?”
A: FDOT spokesperson Hampton Ray says the department allows contractors to manage their own schedules as long as they meet the overall contract time. That means there are times when motorists don’t see any activity, such as the median work on Southside Boulevard, he says.
Contractors schedule work based on the availability of materials, subcontractor crews or other logistical needs, “which helps reduce the overall cost of construction, saving taxpayer dollars,” Ray says.
Much of the work on state roads and interstates is scheduled during off-peak hours, often overnight, to minimize traffic disruptions and ensure safety. The public may not see changes, but FDOT meets regularly with the contractor to ensure projects are progressing, Ray says.
Specific road projects
Ray spoke specifically about the project at Southside and Deerwood Park boulevards. The work will change the intersection to enhance traffic flow and add a new right-turn lane to AC Skinner Parkway, part of a larger corridor improvement project.
Work there is being done when most folks are asleep — between 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Ray says.
The $29.8 million project includes nearly 5 miles of resurfacing on Southside Boulevard, intersection and safety improvements at Southside and Deerwood Park boulevards, drainage improvements, sidewalk installation, signage enhancements and lighting improvements. It should be done in spring 2026, Ray says.
As for the 9-year-old I-95/295 North interchange project, it is not expected to be completed until summer 2026. Ray says the contractor, Archer Western, has faced challenges, which included redoing I-295’s interchange with North Main Street.
The contract time has been extended to account for bad weather, holidays and circumstances beyond the contractor’s control, including labor shortages related to COVID-19 and archaeological complications, Ray says.
The original contract amount increased about 5.5%, from $176.8 million to $186.7 million, due to additional work.
When the project is done, FDOT will assess what are called “liquidated damages” if Archer Western fails to meet the timeline of the contract, Ray says.
Liquidated damages compensate FDOT and taxpayers for losses resulting from delays and the contractor’s failure to complete the project on time.
