The News4JAX I-TEAM is looking into the history of a stretch of I-10, where hundreds of people say their windshields have been chipped or cracked from the broken asphalt on the highway. And it’s not just cracked or chipped windshields, it’s cracked lights, front cameras and paint chipping on the hood.
Drivers are paying for these repairs they say are not their fault. It’s happening on I-10 between Chaffee Road and Hammond Boulevard.
News4JAX put in a records request with the Florida Department of Transportation, asking the last time this area was resurfaced. We have not received a date yet, but F-DOT’s design manual indicates the performance of an asphalt road is between 15-20 years.
The Transportation Planning Organization, which is responsible for planning and prioritizing the money used in transportation projects, says the resurfacing of this stretch of I-10 is part of the DOT’s five-year work program.
“It’s just unfortunate that the degradation of this particular segment has occurred at a more rapid pace than typically expected on roadways in our region,” Jeff Sheffield, Executive Director of North Florida TPO, said.
Their website says the first stages started in 2020. Hubbard Construction Company was awarded the bid for resurfacing from the First Coast Expressway to the Nassau County line on I-10.
But the stretch from Chaffee Road to I-295 hasn’t been awarded yet. The executive director says to keep in mind, the money is there, it’s just waiting to be used.
“The mechanism that we potentially could help and look to try to address is — can we accelerate overall, in terms of the selection and delivery of it — and it goes back to what I mentioned before. The additional challenges we’re seeing right now with reduced amount of roadway contractors bidding on projects and timelines in their ability to deliver the project,” Sheffield said.
Sheffield says while district two, including Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties, has had a history of being proactive in maintenance programs, we are seeing funding challenges to address all transportation needs in the region.
The deteriorating roads are an example of that.
“The entire country, every city in America has the same issue. When you consider that the primary funding source of transportation is the gas tax. So, the gas tax at a federal level is continuing to be a depleting resource for transportation,” Sheffield said. “I would suggest that there’s sort of an ebb and flow within each of the districts and in how their funding becomes proportionate, there are certain amounts that are formulated to each district.”
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