‘900-day project:’ Neighbors in Jacksonville Beach waiting to get road and beach access back

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — South Jacksonville Beach is getting a complete makeover. It’s called the “900-day project” by city leaders and has turned streets into a construction zone.

First Street is covered with construction equipment, dirt, and detour signs, as crews work to replace and repair a number of things.

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“I kind of wish they didn’t just plant themselves in the beach access next to my building,” local Denyse Mahoney said. “My fear is they won’t be going anytime soon, and that’s a real inconvenience to a lot of people.”

Mahoney isn’t wrong. The project won’t be complete until 2026. She lives on First Street and said there were even times when her water was shut off.

“You’re planning to clean up after lunch and there’s no water, fortunately it hasn’t interrupted my showers,” Mahoney said.

The reconstruction will help with flooding. It will also add new sideways, driveways, lighting, and parking spots. The project is also meant to replace existing water and sewer facilities that are nearing the end of their lifespan.

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This project dashboard outlines the seven-phase project. The city believes it could wrap up 600 days from now, but either way we still have ways to go. Right now, crews are 101 days into the project and currently in phase two. The current phase impacts First Street, Seventh Avenue, Eighth Avenue, and Ninth Avenue.

Click here to see the different street impacts phase by phase.

Everything east of Third Street should be finished by March of next year. By phase five, in March of 2026, A1A will be impacted.

The project is expected to be completed in June of 2026.

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We reached out to the City of Jacksonville Beach about the project and received this statement.

“Design and engineering for the project began in 2021, with construction starting in 2023. It is often referred to as the 900-day project and is progressing well. It is estimated that this project will take just over 600 more days to complete, but this is an estimation and could vary greatly depending on weather, construction delays, and other factors. The project consists of reconstruction of the city blocks east of SR A1A, from 5th Avenue South to 10th Avenue South. The work includes stormwater upgrades, regarding the area to improve surface water flow, construction of new sidewalks, driveways, lighting, adding public parking, and replacing existing water and sewer facilities, which are coming to the end of their lifespan. Although this project may inconvenience our residents and visitors, especially because of its close proximity to the beach, it is an essential and top-priority project to ensure safety and a high quality of life for our community. There are 7 phases to this project. Phase 1 was completed in July 2024, and it’s estimated that Phase 2 will be completed in just over 100 days.”

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