Hurricane Matthew 1PM Update: Jacksonville Status
Portion of Western Blvd Closed, City crews working recovery operations
A sparking power line that has fallen across Western Boulevard has caused a portion of Western to be closed between Marine Boulevard and Commerce Road.
The power company has been notified and traffic has been diverted from the area. Use an alternative route around the area.
No other major roads are closed and all streets are open except for a few minor streets still blocked by downed trees or power lines.
City Sanitation crews will begin pickup of debris Monday. Please place debris in containers and place at the curb and not in the street.
Otherwise, City crews have been working to restore traffic, keep utilities operating, and repair damage from the storm.
Streets Division crews have worked to clear trees from the road to allow traffic, but are hampered by trees that have been entangled with power lines, which requires power company crews to coordinate the removal.
Utilities have worked to restore power to all sewer lift stations. During the storm event, some stations were overwhelmed with the surcharge from the heavy rain. The full effect of that is not known at this time.
City Recreation & Parks crews report little damage to sites with most coming from trees that were downed by the wind. However, a portion of the Lejeune Greenway and Trail will have to be closed because of extensive damage. Work to restore that is expected to last into the evening.
Power remains out to about 3,000 homes in the City and many traffic signals are being powered by generators. There is a caution about approaching an intersection with the power out. Assume that it is a 4-way stop with right-of-way given to the vehicle to the right and for motorists only to proceed when safe movement can be made.
The ground is still supersaturated and some trees can still fall down after the intensive winds overnight. Caution should be used around leaning or swampy grounds where trees may be compromised.
Monday is not a City holiday and City offices are expected to operate as normal on Monday.