I-95/I-295 Interchange enters ‘new phase,’ still years behind schedule

Robert Grant
·2 min read
2

New progress is happening for a major North Jacksonville construction project that’s years behind schedule and millions of dollars over previously expected.

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New lanes opened Monday on the I-95/I-295 interchange to help with congestion in the area. It brings the total to six northbound lanes on I-95 and five southbound lanes. There’s also now a dedicated lane for drives getting on I-295 from Airport Road.

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But the project is still delayed from what was previously expected.

“There’s been construction in this area as long as I can remember,” Cedell Hardy, a Jacksonville neighbor, said. “It is a lot going on, but it is a great benefit to the area and the city I feel like.”

The project started in summer of 2016 and was supposed to end in 2020. Instead, it will not be done until spring of 2025.

RELATED: FDOT opening 2 new lanes on I-95 on Monday as part of improvement project

FDOT said traffic through that area is expected to double by 2040 and the project is a necessity. But a representative said it has been through several delays including COVID, weather, and supply chain issues. The price tag also went up from $149 million to now more than $176 million.

“During the life of this project we have seen tremendous challenges that we never expected to see before,” Hampton Ray, an FDOT representative, said. “We’re connecting JaxPort with the airport as well as downtown with the rail facilities on the westside. So this is a really important interchange and we have to make sure to get it right.”

He added that some of the extensions were for safety enhancements including LED lights. Taxpayers will also not feel the burden of the extra expenses.

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