ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – St. Johns County is moving forward with roadway improvements at the intersection of State Road 16 and 4 Mile Road to help reduce traffic backups that frustrate daily commuters.
Chuck Labanowski, who frequently travels 4 Mile Road, described the intersection as a major headache. “It’s probably four light cycles you have to get through before you can get up here,” he said.
The county recently hosted an open house to inform residents about the upcoming project and gather feedback.
Labanowski, a St. Augustine resident since 2005, has witnessed the county’s growth create traffic problems at this intersection.
“This intersection is a nightmare, in the evening and also in the morning, people going toward St Augustine. So I’m happy to see the widening happening. It’s going to double the volume of traffic moving through the intersection, which is good,” he said.
Clay Murphy, vice chair and District 3 commissioner, said he also experiences the traffic daily.
“I drive this road every day. That’s the way I go to my other job. So this is going to be a huge break,” Murphy said.
The project will expand 4 Mile Road from two lanes to three lanes. The new third lane will allow drivers to turn left and right onto State Road 16.
However, a key change will be that left turns from State Road 16 onto 4 Mile Road will no longer be allowed.
Greg Caldwell, director of public works for St. Johns County, explained the reasoning behind the improvements.
“This is something we’ve been monitoring for a couple years. Right now, there is a backup at times on 4 Mile Road. So the addition of an additional left turn lane is going to allow traffic to move so much more efficiently through this intersection,” Caldwell said.
The estimated cost of the project is around $700,000. Construction is expected to take about six months once it begins. Officials hope to complete permitting this calendar year and start construction in the first half of next year.
Murphy acknowledged construction may cause temporary inconvenience but said the improvements will be worth it.
“It’s probably going to be a little bit worse before it gets better, just like the darkest before the dawn. But hopefully we’ll see improvements like we saw at 4 Mile and Holmes Boulevard,” he said.