JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Neighbors at the Mill Creek North Development in Arlington are relieved to hear about new safety improvements on the way.
They’ll help alleviate traffic tie-ups and improve access for pedestrians and cyclists.
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On Thursday, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan helped kick off the new “Lone Star Road Improvement Project.”
It’s a two-phase project that’ll make things safer and more accessible for both people who live there and drivers who travel the area.
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The area has been described by residents as a literal dead-end.
“Congestion springs from that little roundabout that doesn’t go anywhere, and just spits you back out where you came from,” neighbor Rachel Mullins said.
Five years ago, the Skyvision Action News Jax drone showed sand and signs blocking Lone Star Road from the roundabout.
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Flash forward to Thursday, where Deegan joined local leaders to move the first mound of dirt.
“What we have tried to do is make infrastructure projects like this one a priority because it’s really important that we move our city in a direction where we’re accommodating for the growth that we’re seeing,” Deegan said.
Other improvements include enhancements to roadway lighting, a shared-use path from Mathews Manor Drive to Tredinick Parkway, for walkers and bikers, and a signalized intersection at Mill Creek Road.
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“I hope whatever they do will be an even flow,” resident Martha Aiken said.
Action News Jax first reported neighbors’ concerns five years ago.
We asked Councilmember Ken Amaro why improvements took so long.
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“There were some right-of-way accusation issues that had to be resolved. Those were resolved, so that would be the legal piece. The political piece was then finding funding for it,” Amaro said.
Now that those hang-ups have been paved over, construction is set to start soon.
The project means not only improved safety and accessibility but quicker access for emergency vehicles to get to the residents living in this area.
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