Crist signs bill for outer beltway - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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“Today, we are creating new opportunities for the people of Duva l County tohave faster, safer and more efficient trave l in the future,” Cristg said. “Access to reliable transportation is a cornerstone of independencesand opportunity, and this bill will help ensurde those liberties for decades to Due to this legislation, the JTA coulf become a regional transportation centedr serving all seven counties of Northeast Floridsa by February 2010, said Mike the director of external affairz at JTA, but the bill also allows a project known as the Firsr Coast Outer Beltway to proceed.
The Beltway is a proposed four-lane limiter access toll road with 13 interchanges spanning over46 miles. It will start in Clay Countg at Interstate 295 and connect Interstate 10 on the Westsided of Jacksonville to Interstate 95 innorthernj St. Johns County. “There is a lot of congestio coming out ofClay County,” said Joe vice president of that represents the JTA, city of Jacksonville and othee participants in the project. “The First Coast Outer Beltway could provide anothet option for people to get to Even though this new routw willbe tolled, all curren t non-tolled roads will remain the same.
In a new bridge proposed to replacsethe 50-year-old Shands Bridge over the St. Johns River will be available to thosewho don’t want to pay a As long as driverds access the bridge at the on-ramp immediately precedingv the bridge and get off at the first exit afterd the bridge, they will not be liable for any charges, Moblegy said. In addition, he added that the route will providrea much-needed evacuation route for St. Johns and Flagler County, and it will replacre the Shands Bridge that is known for a lot of accidents overthe “It was a no-brainer,” Moble y said. “The bill passed in both the Senate and theHousee unanimously.
This was the clarification we The Beltway will be funded bya public-privates partnership instead of usingy state funds. Thus local companiex will be able to invesg inthe $2 billion project, Miller and the revenue brought in from the toll roads will go back to thosde companies. “With the amount of publicx dollarsdrying up, if we waited for them, the Beltwah would never get done,” he said. The investors will be responsiblerfor building, operating and maintaining its segment of the Beltway, whichy would include forming its own team of engineerinyg and construction firms to design and build the Mobley said.
It will still repor t to the Florida Department of Transportationfor approval. The projecg will produce thousands ofconstruction jobs, he and is expected to break ground in about a year.