St. Augustine plans traffic upgrade for busy intersection of Wildwood Drive and US 1 South – St. Augustine Record

Colleen Michele Jones|St. Augustine Record

With the recentexplosion of residential and commercial development in south St. Augustine especially along the corridors of Wildwood Driveand State Road 207 growth in this area of St. Johns Countyis beginning to rival that of communitiesnorth and west of the city.

Of course, with growth comes traffic.

St. JohnsCounty officials will host a public meeting to discuss anupcoming project to improve traffic flow atthe WildwoodDrive/US 1 South intersection. The meeting will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday at 49 Shores Blvd. (the headquarters of Deltona Realty).

Video: Wildwood Drive in St. Augustine

Wildwood Drive in St. Augustine connects U.S. 1 to State Road 207.

Peter Willott, St. Augustine Record

According to the county, the $1.1 million state Department of Transportation project will include a dual left turn lane and new traffic signal. Construction is expected to begin next month and continue through October.

Wildwood Driveis only about 4 miles long, but it connects U.S. 1 South and S.R. 207 and allows residents of the St. Augustine Shores and even St. Augustine South easy access to Interstate 95.

With more and more developments under constructionor in the works for the roadway, as well as nearby S.R. 207 and U.S. 1, congestion has increased exponentially over the last several years.

Some recent projects include Treaty Acres, with for more than 400 single-family homes, and another smaller development on the western edge of Wildwood Drive,called the Wildwood Forty PUD, thatcalls for 64 homes on 22 acres.

KB Homes Orchard Park, currently under construction off Wildwood Drive,encompasses 300 townhomes. Newer, smaller subdivisions along Wildwoodalso include Windsong Acres and Treaty Oaks.

On the commercial side, the Moultrie Bluff shopping center has been approved for U.S. 1 South just north of Wildwood Drive, although no shovels are in the ground yet.The center will beconstructed across from the complex on U.S. 1 that includes Dicks Wings and Romanos.

Property owner, the Peter Sleiman Development Group, is also proposing 15 residential lots that would abut the shopping center to the south. The parcels boundaries also border the Moultrie Trails residential community to the southeast and West Genung Street to the north.

More action is taking place at the end of Wildwood Drive around the S.R. 207 intersection.

Earlier this year, the St. Johns County Commission approved Entrada, a development of about 1,000 homes that will connect directly to Wildwood Drive at the traffic signal at S.R.207. Developers are seeking a supermarket to anchor the complex, which in its first phase of construction would offer 100,000 square feet of retail space, as well as a restaurant and other retail uses.

In addition, there are plans for amixed-use development called the Benchip PUDwhich would includeabout 500,000 square feet of commercial space and up to 280 multi-family homes. This project would connect with Entrada.

Further west of the intersection butclose enough to have an impact on overall traffic in the region Chris Shee, CEO of the Mastercraft Builder Group, wants to develop land near I-95 and S.R. 207.

As proposed, his Parrish Farms would encompass 3,700 homes and include elements of commercial, office and recreational space.

Shee is also proposing an I-95 interchange that would be at the southern end of the development and extend Watson Road to connect with the highway and add another option for folks who take Wildwood as a cut-through to get to I-95.

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St. Augustine plans traffic upgrade for busy intersection of Wildwood Drive and US 1 South - St. Augustine Record