JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Work will begin in February on one of Jacksonville's most confusing intersections: Airport Road at Duval Road, one block west of Interstate 95. The four intersecting road are compounded by two service roads that intersect as well.
Anyone who has had to make the drive to the airport knows that there's a confusing intersection after you get off Interstate 95. Drivers don't always know what to do at the intersection of Duval Road and Airport Road.
"One's going across, ahead the other is going across this way, and they kind of look at each other and talk in the car, you know you can't hear, but we understand that language, they figure it out on the fly and sometimes they don't unfortunately," Airport Shuttle Service driver Terry Soles told the I-TEAM just over a year ago.
The first phase of construction is slated to begin Feb 16 -- months sooner than originally planned -- when contractors for the Florida Department of Transportation will begin resurfacing Airport Road. They also plan on adding pedestrian signals and traffic-signal detection technology, as well as upgrading highway signage.
”People need to be aware there will be some lane closures," FDOT spokesman Ron Tittle said. "We’ll try to work around the timing. We are aware of airport activities. We are conscious about that. We will try to minimize the lane closure, but we have to close some lanes.”
The second phase of construction will begin later in this year, where some traffic signals will be eliminated, and the median will be modified. Engineers will also build an overpass over Ranch Road, eliminating the confusion over who has the right of way.
News4Jax watched as other motorists weaved and bobbed through the busy intersection, including a semi driver who couldn't seem to figure out which way to go. There was even some slow speed chaos, as an oncoming driver was clearly puzzled by who had the right of way.
"That area near Duval Road and airport road at I-95 is real busy area," Tittle said. "You’ve got a lot of movement to the airport, the interstate and the shopping area on the other side."
Last year, News4Jax obtained data on 76 traffic accidents reported at the intersection from 2010-2015. Of those accidents, 61 percent were rear-end crashes. And, 14 percent of the accidents occurred at an angle, which resulted in 21 injuries.