JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Residents who live along a stretch of Roosevelt Boulevard on Jacksonville’s Westside shared concerns Wednesday with News4JAX over the safety of the roadway.
The residents live alongside the northbound lanes of Roosevelt, also known as US-17, near the FSCJ Kent Campus, up to the Interstate 10 interchange. People nearby said they’ve seen several crashes in recent years and that some have ended up on their properties.
Notably, the brick façade at the entrance to the Kent Campus was recently rebuilt after a crash destroyed it. Around the corner are three markers placed in remembrance of people who died in crashes.
A few blocks to the north, Tess Sheehan said she had to rebuild her fence earlier this year after a large work truck plowed through it.
“I was taking a nap one day and a huge truck crashes in to the backyard,” Sheehan said. “I look outside, it was on its side. Went straight through the fence.”
Across the street, Brett Jacobs has had his property impacted too.
“It’s not the first time. Two months later, another accident happened right in the same spot,” Jacobs said.
The residents say the crashes are continuous on Roosevelt, which is to be expected on a busy highway. But due to the fact that some have ended up in their yards, they’re worried they might at some point strike a home.
Bradley Burke, who lives in the area, said many of the homes are rentals. He said he’s aware of three accidents that happened in one month.
“We’ve had a good little run right now,” Burke said. “It’s been two to three weeks since we’ve had a bad one.”
News4JAX requested comment from the Department of Transportation, which sent a statement that reads:
“At this time, FDOT does not currently have a safety study underway at this location, however this concern has been shared with the appropriate official for consideration in future evaluations.”