southside connector construction

[johnmeeks1974]

when is the eta for the connection between arlington expressway and the southside connector? i drive that way to work and it promises to be a godsend to us in that side of town.

[Charles Hunter]

According to the JTA website, (http://jtafla.com/projects/road_imp/regency.aspx) the third quarter of 2007 - so more than a year to go.

[johnmeeks1974]

that's good news and quite worth the wait!

[Charles Hunter]

It's soooo hot that:
Heat complicates construction on Southside Boulevard (http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/071606/met_22339403.shtml)

[Diane Melendez]

Charles, you put on your "Speedo" and I'll put on my "Bikini" we'll show up on the job site and that should "cool" things down right quick!!!!!:) :) :)

[Charles Hunter]

Diane, glad I wasn't drinking anything, 'cause you'd owe me for a screen cleaning!! :D

[Diane Melendez]

Scary huh???? I scared myself even thinking about it!!!!!:)

[Diane Melendez]

Taking the idea a little further.....It also occured to me that with a few of my friends as recruits dressed the the same "couture", we could have a very positive impact on fighting crime by strolling thru the urban core.

Should be able to shock people into dropping their guns and running like hell!!!!!!Think the Mayor would look good in a "Speedo" we'll invite him and the council to go along!!!!

[Lunican]

"We are 4 inches longer than we should be," Rixom said. Welders will trim the extra inches.


"This was completely unexpected," Rixom said, "but it has happened in the past when it has been this hot."


Hopefully they realize it will contract when it gets cold out. Should we expect these spans to fall into the roadway in the winter?

[Charles Hunter]

Oh good, I wasn't the only one to wonder about that.

[TheITSteve]

Since I normally take that route everyday (I'm detoured right now), I must say that considering what they are doing (building two flyover ramps) this has been the world's slowest project; It has been going since I think 2002, and still have a long way to go.

[Timkin]

I followed in traffic a huge piece of steel beam...probably 50 feet long (looked like a small ship on the back of a trailer , at first ) that appeared to be going towards the SS connector.

I will be joining the residents in the eastern part of arlington in late August, and while this project seems to be going slowly, alot is taking place in the changeover. As im sure we all know, the expressway systems in Florida, even though improved alot, seems to remain consistently behind the times. the near completion of the 9A portion of the expressway has definitely become a godsend in terms of getting around the eastern side of Jax. I havent been over in the Wonderwood/McCormick Rd area until the last couple months. that area's roads are really nice , compared to 15 years ago. I will be moving out toward the Wonderwood Expy area soon, so i am glad to see all the improvements.

Be patient. This connector is going to be a huge help =) The 95 and 10 merger is going just as slowly, but so much is happening in that transition. all in good time, I guess :)

[Jim]

Actually, comapred to Virginia, these move at light speed. There is an intersection (I-64 and Mercury Blvd) still under construction with years to go that was started well before I move here 3 years ago. The last time I was in Jax, I saw so much road construction change, I was in shock.

[johnmeeks1974]

some other improvements that i like a lot...not necessarily in order of importance...
10.) Moving the Southside Blvd. flyover at I-95 from the left to the right
09.) The Park Street exit from the Fuller Warren Bridge
08.) The additonal lanes at the Roosevelt Blvd. exit from I-295 North
07.) 8th Street interchange at Martin Luther King Parkway
06.) Widening Riverside Ave. through Brooklyn
05.) Pending conversion of College and Post back to one-way
04.) Mayport Rd. flyover at Atlantic Blvd.
03.) Improved exit numbering system (based on miles rather than sequential)
02.) Chaffee-Brannan Field Rd. from I-10 to Blanding Blvd.
01.) Planning for traffic roundabouts in the city.

[RiversideGator]

06.) Widening Riverside Ave. through Brooklyn

While this certainly makes cars moves faster down Riverside, I think it made the road significantly less pedestrian friendly and drove yet another nail into the coffin that is the neighborhood of Brooklyn. Another nail of course is the godawful new I-10/I-95 interchange which is running ramps through the neighborhood as we speak. But, with the increased development in the area, it is possible that the area can be salvage in some way and I am hopeful about this.

[TheITSteve]

I don't think just by widening riverside you nail the coffin down on riverside. Remember, the downtown master plan supported the 6-lane Riverside on that stretch, especially since they are keeping the grid streets (sort of, the retention pond ruins one block).

Wide roads don't necessarily mean fast traffic, especially depending on the lights.

[johnmeeks1974]

look at atlantic blvd...it seems to have a new traffic light installed every three months! the way lights are timed there, it makes beach blvd. sometimes look like the least of two evils for those too far away to consider wonderwood.

well, back to riverside...i agree with theitsteve about riverside avenue. various cross streets and businesses manage to keep it to a reasonable (or snail's) pace.

[Yodaman]

I live near the Arlington area... something really needs to be done with the area getting to the Mall. I am still not sure what the construction will add there.

[Charles Hunter]

The current construciton (Regency Bypass) will allow traffic to go directly from the Arlington Expressway onto the Southside Connector; after that, they can get to East Arlington either via Trednick Road to Monument, or stay on Southside up to Merrill. Of course, the overpass will also handle traffic in the other direction. Theoretically, this will remove traffic that is going to and from East Arlington from "in front of" the Mall.
The Better Jacksonville Plan calls for an overpass at the Southside / Atlantic intersection (don't know who would go over which), which might improve access to the Mall, too. But I don't know if it survived the BJP amendment late last year.

[thelakelander]

Given the location of businesses along that stretch and existing ROW, most likely Southside would go over Atlantic.

[Ryan]

I live near that area, and come home from school everyday on the Arlington Expressway. Until that flyover is finished, god forbid something should happen, I will continue to cut through the Regency Mall Parking Lot to skip up to Monument Rd. from Atlantic. The finished project of that flyover cannot come soon enough.

[BostechComputers]

They should award "slowest construction" for that flyover in Arlington.
I drove by few times and still looks like its taking them forever to finish.
Compared to interchange at 9A/JTB its super slow,those guys would finish that flyover 5 times alredy.
Why don't they put more resources and people to finish it ASAP,its critical part of road to do it so slow.

[Charles Hunter]

According to the JTA website (http://jtafla.com/projects/road_imp/regency.aspx), the project should be done in "the third quarter of 2007" - which, by my calendar is the July-September time frame.

[JaxNole]

At least the rotary/roundabout is completed from the service road to westbound Arlington Expressway. It would have been nice if the roundabout was positioned farther north of the Expressway to allow more time for motorists exiting the Expressway to decelerate. It also would have been nice if the ramp from the roundabout on to westbound Arlington Expressway didn't require an almost 180 degree turn. This does seem like a logical place to create a roundabout, though, and most drivers I observed yielded if another driver was in the roundabout.

[copperfiend]

They should award "slowest construction" for that flyover in Arlington.


People always say that. Every neighborhood, every city. Been to San Marco lately? Do you know how long it has taken to widen Argyle Forest Blvd.?

[johnmeeks1974]

the flyover in arlington does look like it's making very little progress from day to day. then again, i said the same thing about the new fuller warren bridge construction!

[BostechComputers]

Super slow....they are alredy pouring concrete on 9A/JTB overpass belive it or not.
That flyover in Arlington is on of slowest construction in Jacksonville...only slower one are Shipyard and courthouse.