JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Transportation will soon start collecting tolls on the First Coast Expressway and the community is invited Tuesday night to learn more about the next step.
FDOT will host another open house on Mar. 12 for residents to preview the next phase of the First Coast Expressway and discuss the project with staff and consultants.
The first phase of construction was completed last year in parts of Duval and Clay counties. The next phase will be from north of State Road 16 near Middleburg to the St. Johns River. Construction is expected to start sometime this year. The third phase is scheduled to start in 2023 and will cross into St. Johns County to I-95.
Once complete, the expressway will connect Duval, Clay and St. John Counties. It will give drivers a faster, more convenient route between I-10 and I-95.
VIEW: First Coast Expressway project at a glance
The Florida Department of Transportation said it will also help with congestion on other major roads and serve as another evacuation route during severe storms. It will be the first toll road in Northeast Florida since 1989. Some residents told News4Jax they don’t mind a new toll road, while others said they don’t want tolls to return after almost three decades.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” Stan Bishop said. “I think we pay enough in taxes that we should be able to have roads.”
FDOT said it will start collecting tolls sometime this spring.
Tuesday's open house will be held at the Clay County Elections Office in Green Cove Springs from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
For more information about the project, visit this website: First Coast Expressway