Crews will begin work on 1.62 miles of Atlantic Avenue the week of Oct. 6 as the Florida Department of Transportation launches a $5 million resurfacing and drainage project.

The work stretches from Centre Street to South Fletcher Avenue along the corridor also designated State Road A1A, State Road 200 and Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. FDOT announced Thursday, Oct. 1, that contractor MAER Construction will begin work the week of Oct. 6, with heavier construction expected about a week later. Completion is targeted for late 2027.

FDOT says the roadway has reached the end of its service life.

Project adds bike lanes and removes some parking

The scope goes well beyond fresh pavement. FDOT plans to mill and resurface the road, rehabilitate underground drainage infrastructure, install eastbound and westbound bicycle lanes from 15th Street to Jean Lafitte Boulevard, replace curbs, improve curb ramps and add signs and pavement markings.

On-street parking along portions of Atlantic Avenue will be eliminated to make room for bicycle lanes and paved shoulders. Where the roadway is too narrow for a designated 5-foot bicycle lane, paved shoulders will be striped instead, the Fernandina Observer reported.

The parking losses drew pushback at a Sept. 24 open house at the Atlantic Recreation Center, where residents raised concerns about overflow parking during events such as the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival and access to the Egans Creek Park kayak launch, according to the Observer.

Drainage repairs won't solve broader flooding

Project designer Dan McCranie of Fernandina Beach-based M&A, a Baxter & Woodman company, said sections of the underground drainage system have failed. Some pipes are more than 50 years old and sit as deep as 22 feet. FDOT plans to replace pipes where practical and use cured-in-place pipe lining in deeper sections.

When asked at the Sept. 24 open house whether the drainage work would alleviate flooding, McCranie was blunt, the Observer reported: "No, it will not."

The project is intended to rehabilitate deteriorated drainage infrastructure rather than resolve the area's broader flooding problems.

Drivers should expect detours

Temporary traffic detours are expected at North 11th Street, North 13th Street, South 16th through South 20th streets, Citrona Drive and Wolff Street, the Observer reported. Pedestrian detours are also expected at locations throughout the project.

Access to properties along Atlantic Avenue is expected to remain available during construction, although individual driveways could be temporarily affected while crews work nearby.

Ben Tanner, who oversees the Courtyard by Marriott Amelia Island, SpringHill Suites by Marriott Amelia Island, Surf and Sand and Seaside hotels, told FDOT at the open house that construction noise was his primary concern. Tanner said 105 hotel rooms face the corridor.

FDOT awarded the contract April 28 after the state's bid solicitation estimated the project at $7.66 million, David Lednovich reported. The awarded project cost is about $5 million. Contract documents provide 300 days for the work, while FDOT lists late 2027 as the expected completion date.

Drivers can track lane closures and detours by following FDOT District 2 on X at @MyFDOT_NEFL or visiting FL511.com.