Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter-News Analyst
There are state and county road improvements in store over the next 5 years that will make life easier for Nassau County and Fernandina Beach residents, according Wanda Forrest, a representative of the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). Forrest briefed the Fernandina Beach City Commission (FBCC) on the highlights of the TPO’s current draft plan at the FBCC meeting on May 7, 2013.
Projects slated for work during the next 5 years include:
· 2013/14: US 17; resurfacing from Duval County Line to I-95 (10.928 miles)
· 2014: State Road A1A/State Road 200; add lanes and reconstruct west of Still Quarters Road to west of Rubin Lane (1.542 miles)
· 2014/15: US 1(SR 15); resurfacing from Duval County Line to 5th Avenue, Callahan (4.300 miles)
· 2015/16: State Road A1A/State Road 200; add lanes and reconstruct from west of Rubin Lane to east of County Road 107/Scott Road (5.031 miles)
· 2016/17: State Road A1A/State Road 200; add lanes and reconstruct from I-95 to west of Still Quarters Road (2.166 miles)
· 2016/17: Chester Road; add lanes and reconstruct from SR A1A to Green Pine Road (2.343 miles)
The draft report also calls for $266,057 in operating and administrative support for the Council on Aging as part of rural transportation assistance.
The North Florida TPO is the independent regional transportation planning agency for Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties. Federal Statutes require urbanized areas with 50,000 or more people to have a Metropolitan Planning Organization. The TPO Board is comprised of elected officials and transportation agency representatives. Under Board direction, an Executive Director leads the TPO with professional staff in transportation planning, modeling, communications and finance.
Forrest emphasized the extensive citizen involvement via many scheduled public meetings that went into developing the annual, 5-year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). The approval date for the FY 2013/14 to 2017/18 draft plan is scheduled for June 13, 2013 at a meeting to be held at 10:00 a.m. at the North Florida TPO building, 1022 Prudential Drive, Jacksonville.
For additional information or to consult the complete plan, which covers Nassau, Duval, Clay and St. Johns Counties, including their municipalities, consult the TPO website, (http://www.northfloridatpo.com/). You may submit comments on the plan to Wanda Forrest by May 31, 2013 via the website.
May 13, 2013 6:12 a.m.