JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Drivers on a stretch of I-10 between Chaffee Road and Hammond Boulevard are frustrated and concerned for their safety as loose asphalt crashes into their windshields.
RELATED: Drivers on a stretch of I-10 frustrated by loose asphalt cracking their windshields
Some drivers call this stretch the “danger zone” because of the asphalt broken up and crashing into their windshields.
Shedrick Cosby counted seven cracks in his windshield that he said came from the broken asphalt on I-10 while heading to his job off Chaffee Road.
Cosby said Safelite Auto Glass told him it would cost $4,900 to replace his windshield.
And it’s not even his car, it’s a loner while his car is in the shop. Now, he’s going to have to pay for both.
Gentoria Wilson said she won’t be paying for the damage to her car.
“I feel like if I get it replaced, it will continue to happen,” Wilson said.
She said she’s also worried her insurance rates will skyrocket so News4JAX talked to a car insurance agent about rates going up if a windshield is repeatedly replaced.
“If they use the insurance company to file a claim, yes, their rates could go up at renewal,” Elliotte Harvey, a car insurance agent said.
Drivers said they’re just going to try to avoid getting their windshield cracked by the asphalt, but it’s not that simple. Everyone driving on the highway is at risk of having their windshields cracked. They said they want something done right now.
“That’s what we talk about when we come to work, is ‘did you survive I-10 east?’,” Julie Luxenberg who travels on I-10 said.
Luxenberg said she emailed the Department of Transportation on Monday.
“People are going 70 miles an hour, and they slow down to 45 because all of a sudden they’re being showered with rocks,” Luxenberg said. “I am worried about safety. This is a safety issue and I’m concerned an accident may occur and someone will get hurt or worse.”
Florida Department of Transportation said two resurfacing projects for this stretch are slated to start in the spring and summer.
While this isn’t a city issue, District 12 City Councilmember Randy White said he learned from FDOT that the bidding on the resurfacing project would start in March.
After deciding who gets the job, it could be 60 to 90 days before they are given the contract, then they would start working.
“Summer is not soon enough, in my opinion, and that’s why I’m trying to drill down and see what can be done to expedite the project,” White said.
News4JAX has received hundreds of comments about your frustrations about driving along I-10. If you have sustained damage to your vehicle, you can submit a claim with FDOT here.
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