Work starts on new Trout River Bridge

[bobliocatt]

By DAVID BAUERLEIN

The Times-Union

Construction to widen Interstate 95 in north Jacksonville, including a new Trout River Bridge, starts today.

The $53.4 million project will last about three years and involve nighttime lane closures, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The work will widen I-95 to six lanes between Lem Turner Road and Heckscher Drive.

The construction of a new Trout River Bridge will take place in two phases. First, the three southbound lanes will be built, and all traffic will be shifted onto those lanes by using safety lanes so there is enough room for four lanes of highway traffic.

At that point, the current bridge, which opened in 1958, will be torn down. The new bridge with three northbound lanes will be built on the site of the current bridge.

Hal Jones Contractor of Jacksonville will build the bridge and widen the highway. The company will be able to close I-95 lanes between 8:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. on weekdays only.

While building the bridge, the contractor will have barges in the Trout River, so boaters should use caution, said Mike Goldman, spokesman for the Transportation Department. The construction will not affect the boat ramp and city park next to the bridge.

In 2008 or 2009, the highway will be widened to six lanes from Heckscher Drive to Interstate 295. After that is completed, I-95 will be six lanes throughout Northeast Florida.

david.bauerleinjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4581

This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stor..._18146064.shtml.

[Viper]

For some reason, this seems sooner than I expected. I know money was deffered from a Beaver street project I believe so this could happen faster but this was quite quicker than I anticipated....which is good.

Next up...Beach Blvd Intracoastal draw bridge replacement.

To Jax City Council, JTA, FDOT, ETC..

Can we get a Matthews bridge replacement too please.

[wolfdawg54]

I would like to see Beach boulevard keep its drawbridge personally. I think that it adds a little bit of history and spunk to the beaches area. Drawbridges are a dying breed and I would like to see it stay.

[Viper]

They are a novelty of the past but a major nuissance to commuters.

A draw bridge over a small, low congestion portion of road is really nice but over a major highway is a problem to more people than a thing of beauty.

[afh]

Aren't y'all still waiting for I-10 to be expanded? FDOT seems to have forgot to plan for road expansion in NE FL b/c your I-10 is need of expansion and 295 south of I-10 all the way around to 95 needs help. The Buckman is already at capacity according to a FDOT spokesperson.

[Viper]

NE Florida has always been overshadowed by South Florida.

[wolfdawg54]

It really is not needed over Beach Boulevard because there really is not that much traffic over it in the mornings or in the evening. I live at the beach and the type of traffic that you are refering to just doen't exist there. It really would be a waste of tax dollars to replace it. FL DOT needs to look a a replacement for the Matthews bridge. That is definitely one area that needs help.