JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Cassat Avenue, one of the busiest roads on Jacksonville's Westside, will soon be getting a facelift, but drivers fear the changes won't help what's really wrong with the road.
The Florida Department of Transportation has plans to add bicycle lanes along the road from Lenox Avenue to Blanding Boulevard.
The project improvements also include resurfacing the roadway, replacing the JEA water main and adding new service connections, relocating the I-10 bridge pier protection wall, upgrading crosswalks to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards and installing countdown pedestrian timers.
GRAPHICS: Proposed changes from San Juan to Lenox avenues | Proposed changes from Blanding Blvd. to San Juan Ave. | Where sign, pavement markings will be added
Crews will also remove some on-street parking between Lenox and San Juan avenues. Drivers will keep on-street parking from San Juan Avenue to Blanding Boulevard, but will lose a southbound travel lane.
"That is definitely going to back things up,” driver Domnick Carter said. “I don't think it's really needed. We need more driving lanes than anything."
Other drivers say the FDOT is ignoring a major problem: flooding.
Some business owners on the Westside said things get so bad that the water rises and spills over a 1½ foot barrier that surrounds Auto Mac on Cassat Avenue near I-10.
"When it rains heavy, we are flooding all the way up to the front door,” manager Kevin Sapp said. “They should be more focused on flooding than a bike lane."
He said flooding is a constant problem that needs to be fixed.
Carter agreed.
"If you're going to revamp the road, you'll want to handle the flooding, especially if you're going to add non-motor lanes,” Carter said.
FDOT officials said they are working to do just that.
“We are about to complete a drainage improvement project along I-10 between Lane and Cassat. The project included adding a drainage pond on the north side of Stuart Avenue between Beverly Lane and Cynthia Street; installation of drainage pipes along the JEA easement west of Price Street from the new pond to I-10; and installation of new drainage pipes on the north side of I-10 to Cassat Avenue,” FDOT officials said in a statement. “This project connected these new drainage structures to an existing stormwater system along Cassat Avenue.”
Anderson Columbia is the contractor for the $10.7 million Cassat Avenue project, which is expected to begin next month and end in 2019.
FDOT is hosting an open house previewing the project from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Lakeshore Women's Club at 2352 Lakeshore Blvd.