Why doesn't the FDOT open all I-295 express lanes on Southside Jacksonville?
It is the last piece of a $139.9 million road project on Jacksonville's Southside designed to let drivers bypass traffic in their Interstate 295 commute from Butler Boulevard to Interstate 95.
But while most of the new I-295 East Beltway managed lanes are open, the FDOT has not done so with the express lanes from I-295 to I-295 West at Florida 9B.
Signs tell the tale electronically: "Express Lanes SB Ramp to I-295 Closed." And at the I-295 split, drivers find "Road Closed" signs for managed lanes headed west to 9B and I-95 South as its lane markers peter out.
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That closure generated lots of commuter questions:
"I’m curious as to why the section of south/west express lane from 9B to I-295 remains closed," writes one reader.
"I often go from the Town Center area to Orange Park and it would be nice to use the 295 express lane (which has been open for months)," added another reader.
The project begun in 2016 added two more 12-foot tolled express lanes in each direction to improve interchanges at Butler, Gate Parkway, Baymeadows Road and 9B, with electronic tolling.
Opened it in mid-April between Butler and 9B, its design is similar to the I-295 West Beltway managed lanes in Mandarin. Drivers are charged a minimum of 50 cents via a SunPass or other transponder, with no toll-by-plate option. Tolls are enforced 6 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and non-holidays, toll-free at other times.
The FDOT's website states full completion was set for this past spring. But in response to questions, FDOT spokesman Hampton Ray admits that the last parts of the I-295 East Beltway are still "actively under construction."
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"Crews continue to install additional electrical needs and safety lighting at the location," he said. "The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year, weather and unforeseen circumstances permitting. Once the work is completed, signage along the roadway will display the ramp is open."
Lane closure app coming for state's highways
The FDOT kicked off a one-year Lane Closure Notification System pilot program that alerts drivers to road work zones or lane closures ahead via their smartphone.
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The system will improve road worker safety by alerting drivers about them and slowdowns due to lane closures, the FDOT said. It will provide advance notice via mapping apps like Google Maps, Waze, TomTom and Apple Maps.
Construction site supervisors can use the app to map out lane closures and deliver near real-time alerts to GPS companies, who then update drivers via smartphone navigation apps.
dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FDOT: Last part of Jacksonville toll lanes still under construction
