MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – Frustration is growing in Middleburg over huge traffic tie-ups that got so bad Tuesday afternoon some News4JAX viewers say they were sitting in backed-up traffic for as long as two hours.
This happened in a construction zone on Blanding Boulevard south of County Road 220. One poster in the News 4 Clay County Facebook group asked for News4JAX to investigate, writing: “My 25 minute drive today has turned into a 2 hour drive.”
News4JAX reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation, which said it was a temporary one-lane closure on Blanding Boulevard (State Road 21) to lay concrete. The closure specifically stretched from County Road 218 up to the Black Creek Bridge and was done to protect both drivers and construction crews as a road widening project is underway. The project, which is designed to add two lanes to the highly-traveled road, is slated to be completed this spring.
Here is the full statement from FDOT:
“Yesterday the contractor implemented a single southbound lane closure within the project limits to protect the traveling public and workers while performing concrete work for drainage improvements along the corridor. We regret the temporary inconvenience to motorists, however the work is necessary and part of a more permanent transportation improvement.
“The concrete work in particular was performed in an effort to expedite the ongoing work on Blanding Boulevard. The overall project is expected to be completed in spring 2022, weather and unforeseen circumstances permitting.
“Once completed, this project will add two lanes of capacity to the 4-lane section of Blanding Boulevard between County Road 218 and Black Creek and provide more efficient east-west movements at the intersection of Blanding Boulevard and County Road 218.”
Drivers tell News4JAX the regular tie-ups go beyond this section of Blanding Boulevard and include areas on County Road 220 and Henley Road.