Road construction is a familiar sight across Jacksonville, sometimes closing lanes or shutting down ramps. And when a project slows a commute, some drivers respond with frustration.
One wrong move: The sometimes-life-threatening reality inside Jacksonville’s road work zonesRead full article: Clay County Fair officials hold press conference on logisticsLegal expert questions whether Trump’s threats to Iran’s energy infrastructure cross a line– Road construction is a familiar sight across Jacksonville, sometimes closing lanes or shutting down ramps.
And when a project slows a commute, some drivers respond with frustration. The Florida Department of Transportation schedules lane closures and said it does its best to notify impacted communities ahead of time and help drivers plan detours so traffic moves more smoothly, faster and safer for roadway workers.But distracted, impaired and speeding drivers can make the job dangerous—and sometimes life-threatening. Sam Lansdale, a construction and project manager with the Florida Department of Transportation, said overnight work can be especially challenging. “There’s a lot of impaired drivers, and that can be scary because people drive a little bit more erratically,” Lansdale said. He recalled a close call during work on Southside Boulevard at Atlantic Boulevard, when a driver went through cones and into the work area right when crews had finished testing.According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, more than 1,400 workers were killed at road construction sites nationwide between 2011 and 2022. The association reports 47% of those deaths were caused by vehicles striking workers. Lansdale said crews have also dealt with aggressive behavior from motorists at major projects, including the North Interchange, where Interstate 95 and Interstate 295 meet near Jacksonville International Airport. “We’ve had multiple accidents. We’ve had wrong-way drivers and also drivers that were just not really wanting to see the construction, didn’t like the delays,” Lansdale said. “They’ll yell and scream, they’ll throw stuff at us.”FDOT and roadway safety advocates urge drivers to slow down, stay alert and avoid distractions in work zones, especially when lanes shift and workers are close to moving traffic. National Work Zone Awareness Week begins April 20. FDOT plans to bring News4JAX Traffic Anchor Sophia Vitello into a work zone to show how crews balance safety and workload while projects continue on busy roadways.Sophia Vitello joined the News4JAX team in September 2025. She's a military spouse and The Morning Show traffic anchor! Story idea? Send it her way! svitello@wjxt.comFake Instagram account created by high school students leads to former DCPS police officer’s arrestWoman found fatally shot in front yard of home on Jacksonville’s Westside‘Crash zone’: Northside neighbors demand action on dangerous curveMeet our March Positively JAX winner: Waste Not Florida 💙♻️Cashless touchscreens replace parking kiosks in downtown St. AugustineLoved ones say farewell to 23-year-old JFRD engineer who died in crashLoved ones mourn Jacksonville father of 4 killed in apartment shootingFamily, friends honor man who was fatally shot during a road rage incident on Edgewood AvenueIt's a great day for Jumbo Shrimp baseball! Join us tonight for the home opening weekendDuval County schools warns families about unsanctioned ‘senior skip day’ at Jacksonville Beach240 new affordable housing units are for ‘people who keep this city running,’ councilman saysThe Block Jax owner continues working on parking solutions ahead of busy sports weekend
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