JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The opening of the new State Road 9B, connecting U.S. 1/Philips Highway to Interstate 95, has been postponed until next weekend due to forecasted weather reports, the Florida Department of Transportation announced Friday.
State Road 9B is now scheduled to open to traffic in stages starting next weekend, FDOT said.
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Southbound lanes and ramps of the new roadway will open Sunday morning, and northbound lanes and ramps are scheduled to open the following week, FDOT said.
The opening of State Road 9B will affect commuters going between Duval and St. Johns counties. Drivers told News4Jax they hope the new road will ease rush-hour congestion.
"As an everyday commute, it will be a whole lot easier, a lot less traffic, a lot less wrecks," driver Stephen Mogavero said.
During the final stages of the project, the southbound lanes of the Interstate 295 east beltway between Baymeadows Road and U.S. 1 are scheduled to close Saturday and Sunday night from midnight to 5 a.m. while overhead signs are installed. Southbound I-295 traffic will be detoured to Baymeadows Road, Southside Boulevard and U.S. 1.
State Road 9B starts in Duval County at the I-295 east beltway and will extend to St. Johns Parkway in St. Johns County. Phase 1 -- connecting I-295 to Philips Highway -- was already completed.
Phase 2 of FDOT's State Road 9B project began in 2013 and cost $95 million. It includes a new interchange at I-95, interchange upgrades at U.S. 1 and overpasses at Veveras Drive and U.S. 1. The project also includes entrance and exit lanes on U.S. 1 and I-95 at the new interchange, utility work and roadway signage. Phase 2 connects the I-295 eastern beltway to I-95.
Phase 3 of State Road 9B, currently under construction, will connect I-95 to County Road 2209 and to Race Track Road via a connector road, Peyton Parkway, in St. Johns County.
People living near Bartram Springs said they're looking forward to the completion of State Road 9B and hope it will save time.
"I'm excited about the Race Track (Road) part of it. At least it will cut off that part where I have to go all the way around 210 and then wrap back around to I-95," driver Eastand Royal said.
The third and final phase began in August and is scheduled for completion in 2018.