Clay County’s First Coast Expressway Set to Improve Commutes
For the residents of Clay County, there’s no place they’d rather live. The area is close to the St. Johns River, making it great for outdoor activities. The communities are safe and friendly – exactly what families want, and need, in order to thrive. But, with many of the residents commuting to Jacksonville for work, traffic congestion is one of the few problems at the front of everyone’s minds.
The solution to the county’s traffic woes is taking the form of the First Coast Expressway. To create it, the FDOT worked with RS&H to design the new multi-lane limited access toll facility, which will eventually connect Interstate 95 in northern St. Johns County to Interstate 10 in western Duval County.
The project consists of two segments – the first being an 8-mile stretch between I-10 and just north of Argyle Forest Boulevard. The second starts at this ending point just north of Argyle Forest Boulevard and runs just over 7 miles to State Road 21 (Blanding Boulevard).
The northern section, which spans from Blanding Boulevard in Clay County to I-10 in Duval County, is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion later this year. The project will also include a new bridge crossing over the St. Johns River.
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RS&H and FDOT earned top recognition in the 2026 DBIA Florida Region Project Awards for two transportation projects, highlighting excellence in infrastructure delivery, innovation, and collaboration.
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Construction Manager/General Contractor and Progressive Design-Build are qualifications-based selections, involve a single-step approach, and typically require less time and resources from the owner and bidders during the procurement process.
RS&H, working in collaboration with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and dedicated groups of teaming partners, has earned two 2026 ACEC Florida Outstanding Project Awards.
