Lane Closures Begin Monday In $236 Million, 6-Year Project To Totally Rebuild Entire I-10, Hwy. 29 Interchange

April 19, 2024

Lane closures begin Monday on a major $236 million Florida Department of Transportation reconstruction project to completely rebuild the I-10 and Highway 29 interchange.

The project will include construction of all-new I-10 travel lanes and about a dozen bridges over six years with anticipated completion in the summer of 2030.

Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures on I-10 near the Highway 29 interchange from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, April 22 through Thursday, April 25 as crews perform utility work and place temporary barrier wall.

FDOT said 62,000 commuters travel through the corridor daily. The I-10 speed limit hasbeen reduced from the current 60 mph to 50 mph..

The project includes the following shown on the map above (the numbers correspond to the map, click to enlarge):

  1. Construction of six new main lanes on I-10 through the center of the interchange, requiring six new bridges.
  2. Five existing I-10 bridges will be converted, and one new bridge will be constructed for ramps.
  3. Remove the I-10 loop ramp from I-10 to northbound Highway 29.
  4. Construct extended two-lane ramps east of the interchange.
  5. Replace the existing North Palafox and CSX bridges to accommodate widening of I-10.
  6. Modify the Highway 29 at Dairy Road intersection to allow eastbound and westbound traffic to I-10 from Diamond Dairy.
  7. Construct stormwater ponds (shown in blue on the map above).

For a complete graphical look at project details, click here.

NorthEscambia.com graphics, click to enlarge.

Comments

20 Responses to “Lane Closures Begin Monday In $236 Million, 6-Year Project To Totally Rebuild Entire I-10, Hwy. 29 Interchange”

  1. Deon Hawkins on April 23rd, 2024 1:15 am

    When will there be 6 lanes to the Alabama line? This is also badly needed.

  2. Joshua on April 22nd, 2024 9:22 pm

    Based on experience, I recommend that anyone whose property borders this project needs to do the following:

    Take pictures of your property that shares a border with this project. Take them before, during, and after construction. Take them when it rains too. Store them in a secure location. It is common for FDOT projects to “accidentally” dump stormwater on your property, and it is an absolute nightmare trying to get them to fix this. I know someone up at the Scenic Hwy intersection who is still battling this from their improvements after Hurricane Ivan.

  3. Born in Pensacola resident my entire life on April 22nd, 2024 2:17 am

    Another 6 year construction project…. Undoing some construction just completed…. Just wonder who really benefits…

    Other cities would have this completed in no time.

    Yet we go with roads inc. or some other work at their own pace company.
    I’ll be retired when this is done.

  4. Bobby on April 20th, 2024 8:33 pm

    I find it unbelievable that my sixth grader will be graduating from high school when this is completed. On the other hand, it will probably go over.

  5. Me on April 20th, 2024 8:22 pm

    While we are “fixin” stuff. It would be nice if they put a “NO RIGHT ON RED” at the off ramp of I-10 westbound turning onto Pine Forest (like the one at I-110’.&’Cervantes) so drivers like me have half a fighting chance of pulling out onto Pine Forest from Detroit Blvd. without getting hit. Usually drivers wait for traffic lights to give them time enough to pull out, but when these lights turn red every car turning right pulls out heading north on Pine Forest Rd.

  6. Frustrated on April 20th, 2024 5:59 pm

    Don’t try to fix something that is not broken all it does is make matters worse.they do waste too much money, there are a lot of other things that they could do with tax payers dollars in Escambia County. We don’t need all the people up north coming here to live and having to destroy the woods and take a way from animals that God put here just so someone can get rich.

  7. Willis on April 20th, 2024 5:27 pm

    FINALLY !!!

  8. Rodney on April 20th, 2024 5:19 pm

    With 45 years stong in the workforce one of the first and most valuable lessons I have learned is, “Do it right the first time”. A simple cliche’ that should be performed with each task for multiple reasons. Government, especially FDOT, cannot accomplish this or is ignorant to the concept.

  9. sillybillyroadrus on April 20th, 2024 8:44 am

    what again, jezz didn’t we just finish fixing it, oooo we build it backwards….off rams instead of on rams

  10. AM on April 19th, 2024 4:31 pm

    I agree with KD and John Connor! Those on-ramps that merge into the fast lane give me white knuckles. It’s especially awful if someone is in front of you and they are going 40 mph as they merge, meanwhile I’m trying to get to at least 70 mph asap so I can merge behind the bad driver that’s been riding that left lane and refusing to budge as I approach.

  11. John on April 19th, 2024 2:46 pm

    Well at least most of it will be funded by the ” fines double when workers are present” tickets.

  12. John Connor on April 19th, 2024 2:09 pm

    Well we can put fourth all we want on why it is not needed but the reality is those left lane entrances on a curve needed to go. Just a horrible design flaw from the 60s due to low budget constraints. The fact it lasted this long is a disgrace it’s self. Could have rebuilt it in the 90s for over a 100 million less. That’s Pensacola for you! They will wait until it cost 600 million then complain why it costs so much and just decide to replace one section and call it a day..

  13. Caveman32565 on April 19th, 2024 1:31 pm

    And this is caused by stupid people doing stupid things
    The asphalt is still dark black from last time we fixed this
    Why?? Cause someone is stupid
    Here’s your sign

  14. Cimberly Quinlan on April 19th, 2024 11:07 am

    6 years we all know is a lie…it took 30 years LIterally to finish the construction on hwy 29..why don’t the public get a vote on these things to see if they are actually necessary? Why are the roads with all the pot holes not being fixed? Why not make sure there is drainage in these neighborhoods that flood when there is a storm? There are so many more things that money could be alloted to.

  15. KD on April 19th, 2024 9:10 am

    Sure, how it is currently works and there’s a constant flow, but I know the bridges over 29 needed to be reconstructed years ago, just due to the structural shape they’re in (they’re not great.) Plus the on-ramp’s (29-NB to I10-WB) and (29-SB to I10-EB) are both currently throwing you into the passing side of traffic (left) in the middle of a curve. The (29-NB to I10-WB) is the worst because by the time you can actually see traffic in your side mirror the merge lane is already ending. And you know people here can’t drive, so everyone is going whatever speed they want in whichever lane they feel like. I think this will be an improvement. Getting rid of the curves for through-traffic will probably make it flow even better. 5 years of construction and headaches is what detours, leaving earlier and tylenol are for.

  16. Wondering on April 19th, 2024 8:52 am

    They haven’t been long redoing this exit and only 29 north bound to I-10 east bound needs attention. Six lanes would be nice to Pine Forest. I wonder how they are going to do the rail road bridge and keep train traffic flowing or where is the right of way for a new bridge.

  17. Ed Tho. on April 19th, 2024 7:31 am

    There is nothing wrong with the interchange, if you picture each entrance and exit, they all work and are at a constant flow, 5 years of construction and headaches.
    Common sense never plays out. Thanks FDOT.

  18. brianh on April 19th, 2024 7:27 am

    I have two comments, why the heck did they not fix the Hwy 29 mess when they did it a few years ago? Second, why does the state always begin construction projects during tourist season?

  19. Traffic Expert on April 19th, 2024 5:31 am

    This would have been a good spot for a turbine interchange. It looks almost like half a turbine and half of what used to be there. Of course we won’t get an efficient, modern interchange, that would make too much sense. And they need a reason to do something different there in 10 years. So we’ll deal with cones & barrels for 6-7 years, have a decent commute for 2-3 years and then start over and do something different. They could skip all that rubbish and put the turbine in now but we want our good friends at Roads Inc to have job security. Now you’re thinking, hooray!

  20. Fred on April 19th, 2024 3:50 am

    Six (really 8) years of misery – long lines of stopped traffic, cones, dormant work areas, delays. Might as well find another route.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News