JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Drivers along Interstate 295 near J. Turner Butler Boulevard might notice a new addition.
Late Thursday evening through early Friday morning, the Florida Department of Transportation installed a new toll gantry as part of its expansion project, which aims to break down the daily gridlock along that stretch of interstate, especially during rush hour.
Time-lapse videos from overnight offer a glimpse of the long process of installing the toll gantry on I-295 between Gate Parkway and Baymeadows Road. The first video shows a crane moving one small section to the road. The second shows the crane moving a larger, rectangle-shaped object that goes above the highway.
WATCH FDOT TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS: Part 1 | Part 2
VIEW PHOTO GALLERY: Toll gantry installed on I-295 near JTB
It was a project that took several hours and a lot of hands on deck to complete.
Randalyn Herrald has been making the drive from South Carolina through Jacksonville for several years. She takes I-295 regularly and has noticed how it has changed.
"It's more congested than it used to be," Herrald said. "(There's) heavier traffic, more trucks and a lot more people."
Other drivers have similar sentiments about I-295. According to FDOT, the expansion project is expected to wrap up by the end of the year -- factors, including weather, permitting.
News4Jax has also reported on the express lanes that have been under construction for years in Mandarin. According to FDOT, that project is slated to finish this spring. FDOT officials said that, during peak rush hours, traffic speeds along that stretch stand at about 7 mph. But with the express lanes, they hope that speed will increase to 20 mph.
The goal is to make driving on I-295 a little less hectic.
