GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – The kickoff Thursday of the 32nd Clay County Agricultural Fair means the Green Cove Springs area will see a lot of traffic over the next nine days.
There has been talk of widening State Road 16, which runs in front of the fairgrounds, but News4Jax has learned there may not be any fix soon for Clay County drivers.
As a short-term solution this year, the Clay County Sheriff's Office has put out a map showing a route that fairgoers need to take to get in and out as quickly as possible.
VIEW/PRINT: 2019 Clay County Fair route map
In 2017, News4Jax reported there was discussion of widening S.R. 16, the only way in or out of the fair, but that is on hold right now. There aren't any plans to widen the road for at least five years.
That means locals along S.R. 16 say they can expect hourslong backups on busy days at the fair, which runs until April 13. Linda Engle described the road as being a "zoo" this time of year.
"It's a mess -- long, long lines of traffic," she said.
Dan Engle said S.R. 16 needs to be widened.
"They need a turn lane in both directions so somebody can get in and out, so the through traffic can get by," he said. "That would be nice."
Rachel Wallace, who works in a livestock exhibit at the fair, will be at the fairgrounds almost every day for the next week and a half and said she usually has to sit in traffic for 20 to 30 minutes.
"It's crazy, especially when you come in here every day," she said. "You find little loopholes to go around it."
The Florida Department of Transportation says it does not have S.R. 16 listed for widening in its five-year plan. There had been some long-term studies about widening that News4Jax reported on in 2017, but there's no movement on that.
Lorin Mock, acting Clay County manager, told News4Jax locals frustrated by fair traffic have some hope, as the outer beltway project is underway currently and that changes the landscape of the area.
"As you look at some of the road improvements that will come in to support that, it’s natural that over the course of the next few years, (S.R.) 16 is going to have to be improved, also," Mock said.
In the meantime, the Sheriff's Office hopes the new entry and exit plan will alleviate congestion in the area during the fair.
For more information, schedule and ticket prices, visit ClayCountyFair.org.