JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville drivers have something to celebrate – I-10 is getting some new asphalt.
The Florida Department of Transportation announced it will start resurfacing the five-mile stretch between I-295 and Chaffee Road next weekend.
On Saturday, First Coast News posted on Facebook asking viewers if they've ever had a cracked windshield from the stretch.
Within a day, there were 500 comments.
Folks like Laura Mixon Boles said she’s had it happen three times in a matter of months.
Chris Bertrand said he just got a "fat chip" in his windshield after driving on I-10.
Shawn Barker said he went to Safelite for a new windshield, then got a crack on the way back home.
The resurfacing will certainly help in the future, but one driver who takes this route every day says it can't make up for the months of headaches.
“I have yet another crack in my windshield," said Sharon Chappell. "Paint peeling on the hood, and anything on the front of my vehicle is peeling currently from the damage.”
At this point, Chappell is getting cracks in her windshield faster than she can make claims to FDOT.
She said she’s gone through four windshields in two years, with another crack in the new windshield she just got in January.
It’s become a family problem – as her husband, daughter and daughter’s boyfriend all have cracks in their windshields, each one forming after taking a trip on I-10 near Chaffee Road.
“Everyone that I do know has either dings, chipped paint or cracked windshields, and it’s primarily cracked windshields," said Chappell.
FDOT spokesperson Hampton Ray said the complaints really picked up this winter after some cold weather.
“We got the most value from that asphalt as we possibly could. It’s reached the end of its service life," said Ray. "Semi-truck usage, things like that. The different freeze-thaws that occur on the roadway, that does impact asphalt.”
The five-mile stretch between Chaffee Road and I-295 will be the first to get a facelift, with work starting this week.
Later this spring, crews will resurface the next chunk from the First Coast Expressway all the way to the Nassau-Duval County line.
“We’re just going to remove the top couple of layers of the roadway, then apply that nice, smooth, butter-like roadway you’ll be able to drive when the project’s complete," said Ray.
Chappell has gone out of her way to avoid I-10 on her daily commute, so she’s looking forward to when she’ll be able to take the on-ramp to the interstate without worrying so much about her windshield.
“You expect over several years to get wear and tear on a vehicle, but not to this extent," said Chappell.
Construction starts Sunday night, April 20. The project will take about a year to complete because it also includes new signage and drainage improvements.
However, Ray says drivers should notice a somewhat immediate improvement because crews will lay a temporary layer down first before they start those other parts of the project.