JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Community members raised concerns and asked questions Monday to city leaders about plans to expand Old Middleburg Road from 103rd Street to Argyle Forest Boulevard.
The city wants to expand the road into four lanes with medians and ponds in certain areas. Westside residents were hopeful that newly-elected District 14 Councilman Rahman Johnson would be the one to get the project completed as they say they’ve been hearing about the proposed plans for years.
with phase one set to begin as soon as January 2024.
Johnson said this project is something the district needs while the community said it’s something that has taken too long to get done.
“It was needed, then before there was what we now know as Oakleaf plantation. This community is so rich, right in spaces, you can literally run, jog down. Argyle Forest Boulevard can’t really do it. It’s a great community. It’s a great space, but it needs to be developed,” Johnson said.
Johnson said other city leaders at the meeting said they plan to do the project in two phases with phase one set to begin as soon as January 2024.
“From 103rd Street to Parmin. That area is going to work. That’s phase one. And phase two which they’re currently acquiring some of the property for should take about two years to do,” Johnson said.
Community members complained that the city has been promising to start this project for years and shared their concerns about the Old Middleburg Road intersection.
“It’s a very bad intersection when you’re heading east, trying to get on a shared drive. And right now, people come out of the turning lane off all around 200 cars, like they’re doing the Daytona 500. They come out like out of the chute,” Robert Biggs said.
Robert Biggs said he is hopeful that the project will eventually be completed but is unsure if he’ll be around to see it.
“I was at one of these town hall meetings about four years ago. And we heard the same dialog,” Briggs said. “In their timeline, it was supposed to start phase one in January of 2023. And there’s no construction.”