Traffic across Julington Creek Bridge into Mandarin (Jacksonville, Fruit Cove: middle schools, moving)

[lewoodpa]

We are considering a move to the St. Johns area so our son can attend Creekside High School. I hope to find work in Jacksonville while my husband will be working in St. Augustine. I am concerned about a traffic bottleneck going across the bridge as it is the only point of access to Jacksonville from the west side of St. Johns County unless you travel over to 1-95. How bad is the traffic in the St. Johns area and does a bottleneck occur at the bridge during rush hour or at other times (Friday night?) and if so, how bad is it?

Thanks for your help.

[fsquid]

bottleneck extends to about the Gate station between 5-6. Sometimes not even that bad.

[JMMH]

It's not a problem at all really. In the morning going north between 7-8 or so, sometimes traffic will back up from the light right after the bridge (before 13 becomes three lanes), but that light rarely turns red so usually even with backups you get moving eventually.

Coming south in the afternoon the biggest issue is that three lanes become 2 shortly before the bridge, so the middle lane which becomes the left lane gets clogged up with people merging in from the left lane and people avoiding the right lane as a lot of people turn right into businesses on 13. The bridge itself never gets bottlenecked in this direction as it's awhile to the first light going south that meets up with Race Track.

The only traffic you will see in that area is the buildup of people turning to go right on 13 from Race Track and the buildup of cars waiting to drop or pick up kids from the elementary and middle schools.

[mississippimagnolia]

The only time it really backs up over the bridge is when there is an accident or when it's pouring down rain. For some reason the area right over the bridge gets a lot of standing water when it storms.

[dizliz0925]

Not Bad at all.
I work downtown, and travel from Fruit Cove up San Jose accross the Acosta.
The trick to beating most of the Mandarin San Jose traffic is to make a left just after the bridge to Old Mandarin Road and cut up Flynn to Scott Mill to Beauclerc Road.

Works just as well on the ride home

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