Public meeting to be held on Baymeadows Road improvements

Embassy Suites, 9300 Baymeadows Road, 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. to view maps; Formal comments taken at 6:30 p.m.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It's one of the busiest streets in Jacksonville -- Baymeadows Road. And the Florida Department of Transportation said it wants your help making part of the roadway even safer for the people who use it every day.

FDOT is holding a public hearing today to get feedback on proposed improvements for part of the roadway.

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The FDOT is proposing safety upgrades on Baymeadows Road from Jacksonville Country Day School to Freedom Commerce Parkway.

That would also mean temporary changes on Baymeadows and Old Baymeadows Road; for example, closing the medians to install turn lanes there.

The FDOT said more than 47,000 vehicles travel that section of Baymeadows Road every day, so they want to make it as safe as possible.

"Any time we have a proposed change to especially medians we definitely want to let people know because it changes access to businesses and access that people are used to using," said Laurie Sanderson, spokesperson for FDOT.

Potentially closing the medians is just one of the topics the FDOT will bring up Thursday evening in its public hearing.

The agency will be unveiling the improvements it's proposing for Baymeadows Road between Freedom Commerce Parkway and Jacksonville Country Day School.

"What we can do when we're creating plans, is we can get public input into the proposed plans and then sometimes we can make adjustments to address concerns that the public may have regarding our proposal," said Sanderson.

The proposed upgrades include adding turn lanes at multiple intersections and a new sidewalk.

Installing those turns lanes would mean these medians would have to be closed.
The FDOT could also widen some intersections.

Construction would start in Summer 2016 and cost about $5.6 million.

But FDOT says it won't move forward until it hears from the community, which is why Thursday night's public hearing is so important.

The meeting will be held Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites located on Baymeadows Road near I-95.

Those interested can stop by anytime between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to look at maps and talk to FDOT staff. Formal comments will be taken beginning at 6:30 p.m.