BALDWIN, Fla. -
A worker died after an industrial accident Tuesday afternoon at a highway construction site along Interstate 10 at U.S. 301, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
Officers were called about 4 p.m. to the site near Baldwin, where police said they found a 37-year-old man underneath an asphalt compactor that had tipped over.
Police said the man, who was a construction worker, was taken to a hospital, where he later died. His name has not yet been released.
SKY 4 captured an aerial view of the scene, showing police tape around the piece of heavy equipment where a new I-10 overpass over U.S. 301 is being built.
Investigators said multiple companies work at the site, and it's not yet known which company the victim worked for.
Sheriff's Office homicide detectives are investigating the incident as an accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) scheduled to begin construction early February 2017 on a bypass around the Town of Baldwin. Superior Construction Company is expected to complete the $60 million project by Spring 2020.
The project includes constructing a new four-mile, four-lane divided highway beginning north of the I-10 westbound on-ramp and two new signalized intersections at Beaver Street (U.S. 90) and Brandy Branch Road. Plans also include building an overpass across two CSX railroad crossings and an additional overpass over the Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail to alleviate traffic congestion and improve operational efficiency of U.S. 301, which is part of the National Highway System and Florida’s Strategic Intermodal System (SIS).
An open house was held Monday, January 9. Topics discussed included timeframe, construction activities, traffic impacts and other details.
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Construction aims to improve I-10, US-301 interchange
Safety for truck drivers, other motorists the focus
Baldwin has become a hub for truck drivers transporting products to and from Jacksonville. The I-10/US-301 interchange is a popular spot for truck drivers to refuel and rest. But engineers with the Florida Department of Transportation noticed there were some flaws to the interchange.
FDOT crews were working to make improvements, but they say there have been some bumps in the road.
Recent storms like Hurricane Irma have delayed progress along the I-10/US-301 interchange. The project completion date has been pushed back to fall of 2019. But when it's done it's going to help drivers behind the wheel of big rigs.
That includes reconstructing the entrance ramps from US-301 to I-10 eastbound. A new ramp will allow US-301 northbound traffic to smoothly exit onto I-10 after the intersection. This will cut down on the backup of traffic at the exit.
There will be an additional lane to give trucks and other cars more space and time to merge onto I-10, and the exit lanes on I-10 will be wider to accommodate semis.
"Cars are going to cut in front of trucks," truck driver Steven Brown said. "They're going to be in a hurry. Not much you can do about that." ===================
I-10 at U.S. 301 Improvements
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) started work in late February 2016 on a project on the Interstate 10 and U.S. 301 interchange near Baldwin. The reconstruction project is designed to accommodate increased truck traffic making the northbound U.S. 301 to eastbound I-10 movement. Northbound trucks using U.S. 301 are primarily heading to Jacksonville or points north.
Florida is a major player in the global economy, ranking seventh in the U.S. for exports. In 2013, Florida exported more than $85 billion in goods, with most of those loads moving on Florida highways on the way to seaports and rail centers.
The $65 million project was awarded to Superior Construction of Jacksonville and comes on the heels of the $67 million widening of U.S. 301 north of Baldwin completed last summer.
A Baldwin Bypass project is scheduled for construction next year.
"This route is a critical part of the regional transportation network," said Pete Sheridan of VIA Consulting Services, which will oversee the construction.
The existing I-10-U.S. 301 interchange features two major truck stops that attract a sizable concentration of truck traffic.
The interchange project includes new ramps and bridges to correct the following deficiencies:
- Substandard loop ramps
- Insufficient deceleration ramp length
- Insufficient queue storage on U.S. 301
- A short weaving distance between loop ramps and southbound U.S. 301
- Substandard vertical clearance under the bridges
I-10 and U.S. 301 improvements include:
- Reconstruct the entrance ramp from U.S. 301 southbound to I-10 eastbound in the southwest quadrant of the interchange which will ultimately merge into the single-lane entrance ramp from U.S. 301 northbound to I-10 eastbound providing dual lanes and allow for merge room onto I-10
- Construct a new single-lane entrance ramp from U.S. 301 northbound to I-10 eastbound in the southeast quadrant of the interchange which will ultimately merge into the entrance ramp from U.S. 301 southbound to I-10 eastbound providing dual lanes and allow for merge room onto I-10. This will ultimately eliminate the current left turn movement at the signal and allow a free-flowing right turn lane.
- Realign and widen the exit ramp from I-10 eastbound to U.S. 301 from a single left turn lane to a dual left turn lane to U.S. 301 northbound and maintain a single right turn lane to U.S. 301 southbound.
- Construct a new single-lane exit ramp from I-10 westbound to U.S. 301 in the northeast quadrant. The ramp will ultimately split allowing for separate exit ramps for northbound and southbound U.S. 301 traffic. The new ramp design will provide a dual right turn lane controlled by a signal for northbound U.S. 301 and provide a two-lane ramp controlled by a signal for southbound U.S. 301. The new ramp will also improve I-10 westbound and provide more capacity during peak times.
- Realign the westbound entrance ramp from U.S. 301 southbound to I-10 westbound in the northwest quadrant controlled by a yield sign.
- Reconstruct turn lanes which will extend and/or eliminate both left and right turn lanes at the interchange.