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'It is going to be a nightmare'

CR 220 construction sparks frustration, concern with residents

Phase 2 of the project begins on Jan. 20

By Kyla Woodard
kyla@claytodayonline.com
Posted 1/16/25

MIDDLEBURG - On her morning treks to work, it takes Amy Fraboni at least 20 to 25 minutes to turn left out of her neighborhood.  For Michael Maloney, it’s like playing a game of Frogger …

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'It is going to be a nightmare'

CR 220 construction sparks frustration, concern with residents

Phase 2 of the project begins on Jan. 20


Posted

MIDDLEBURG - On her morning treks to work, it takes Amy Fraboni at least 20 to 25 minutes to turn left out of her neighborhood. 

For Michael Maloney, it’s like playing a game of Frogger whenever he makes it out.

One thing these individuals have in common is that they both live in the Ridaught Landing subdivision, located directly off Chief Ridaught Trail. A road next up on the county’s list of widening plans. 

Residents of Ridaught Landing said they are just beginning to feel the effects of the dreaded phase two of the County Road 220 road project. 

Set to begin in less than a week, some residents said they are preparing for the worst.

"It is going to be a nightmare," Maloney said.

On Jan. 20, construction workers will begin widening to four lanes east of Chief Ridaught Trail to Knight Boxx Road, building a new four-lane bridge over Little Black Creek and making signal updates at Knight Boxx Road and Blanding Boulevard.

The lane widening and reconstruction project began with phase one, which involved widening Hollars Place and west of Henley Road to four lanes, ending at Chief Ridaught Trail. 

The project is estimated to be $32-$35 million, and each phase is expected to take over a year to complete.

Fears of enhanced traffic congestion, complicated detours and safety concerns have plagued those who have to travel the roads every day. 

Fraboni said it has only gotten worse for her. 

“If I’m coming down 220 from College [Drive] area, I can sit two to three traffic light [cycles]... before I can even get through the intersection at Knight Boxx,” she said. 

As a result of the construction, the county has developed detour plans for drivers heading east or west on the road, including detours for eastbound traffic heading north on Baxley Road and east on State Road 21.

Some westbound traffic will be detoured north onto Henley Road through the right turn lane at the northeast corner of the intersection.

Sandy Summerton, Executive Director of Safe Animal Shelter - located on  CR 220 - said she isn't all that worried. She said the shelter will remain open during construction.

"We're here. We're still here, and you're not going to be blocked off," Summerton said. 

But some said it’s insufficient to subdue the traffic still being dumped onto the road. 

Although they understand the need to accommodate the county’s rapid growth, the residents said the timing is a problem.

Resident Allen Brown noted the importance of aligning construction schedules to avoid what he calls "traffic bottlenecks."

Currently, the county has three other road projects running concurrently on County Road 220, including milling and resurfacing work on College Drive, water line work from Habersham Harbor Drive west to Silver Point and traffic signal work on the intersection of County Road 220 and Lakeshore Drive West, which will cause future single-lane closures.

Maloney said this is an issue.

“I'm sure this will coincide with what’s going on with the other construction,” Maloney said. “So, the lack of staggering is a problem.”

Maloney said residents are also nervous that the detours will also cause the subdivision to become a 'cut-through', allowing for additional traffic to filter in from off the road.

Resident Dave Melton moved into Ridaught Landing 25 years ago and said he has witnessed the traffic on County Road 220 go downhill throughout the years. He wonders why the road work wasn’t done years ago. Fraboni shared the same sentiments. 

“I drove through parts of St. Johns County this past weekend, and they have four lanes in the middle of nowhere,” Melton said. “Preparing for future growth.”

Following the September 2024 public meeting at RideOut Elementary, where residents were invited to view early construction plans, County Engineer Richard Smith told Clay Today the rush to get the project done now is mainly due to funding. 

Smith said the Department of Transportation and federal funding have a limit on when the money for the project can be spent. If it is not done by 2027, he said, it could lose its partnership. 

The county also gave the following statement about the project: 

"We are attentive to our community's concerns, and we appreciate their patience and cooperation while our crews work diligently to finish this project as quickly and safely as possible.

As part of this project, crews are replacing a weight-restricted bridge constructed in 1949.

This lane-widening and reconstruction project is critical for Clay County to prepare for increased traffic, to lessen congestion, and to improve the area's safety.

We have been working closely with public safety, law enforcement, and the school district throughout all phases of this project so we can ensure proper planning on all fronts.

As with all of our projects, we continue to monitor the traffic and will make any necessary changes."

Brown hopes this is the case, even providing possible solutions for the county to look into, including possibly expediting the project and installing sidewalks and traffic-calming measures for the safety of residents and children. 

Brown, whose family moved to Middleburg in 1991, grew up in Ridaught Landing. He said he remembers when large cow fields surrounded Lake Asbury Elementary School and when Ridgeview was a junior high school

As someone who has seen the community when it was quiet and rural, it’s different. Thriving and wonderful, but almost unrecognizable. He said that’s not a bad thing.

Growth is inevitable. But, he urges the county to heed to the concerns of citizens. 

As the saying goes, with growth comes a price.

And for some, they said that the price is too much to pay.