Construction of the First Coast Outer Beltway, one of the largest engineering projects in Northeast Florida, will commence next year, Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Ananth Prasad, announced Wednesday.
The 15-mile long partial beltway around Jacksonsville will connect I-10 to State 21, south of the City. Construction will begin in the fall of 2012 with completion three years later. Construction of a second segment is expected to commence in the spring of 2013.
Estimated to cost $291 million, the project is being financed by the Florida Turnpike Enterprise which will be repaid by toll revenues.
FDOT said tolls will be collected automatically, using the SunPass reader system and will allow for traffic to drive full speed through a gantry that automatically deducts the toll from a prepaid account, instead of toll booths.
Carroll said construction of the beltway will “create private sector job growth and spur the economic engine in Northeast Florida.”
The First Coast Outer Beltway, once completed, is also expected to alleviate congestion and improve economic development particularly in Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties.
