Prepare to hit the brakes on I-95 and to pay big at the pumps this Memorial Day weekend

As one of the busiest Memorial Day weekends in recent memory befalls the holiday traveler, here's an alert — a bridge reconstruction project has finally begun on Interstate 95 at the Duval/Nassau county line.

So there's the potential for some slowdowns due to Florida Department of Transportation lane closures on I-95 at the Nassau River.

As we've told you before, and electronic signs on the highway have been alerting drivers for weeks, the FDOT has started a repair and rehabilitation project on the bridges that will continue through late next year.

FDOT spokesman Hampton Ray said construction work is limited during holiday peak travel times, but drivers should watch out for the lane closures anyway.

Stuck in traffic on Gate Parkway? Here's an update on the road work underway (and when it will be finished)

The long haul: Jacksonville's I-10 still undergoing lane widening for safety, better traffic flow

Traveling for Memorial Day? Here's when to avoid hitting the road, according to experts

"While major construction activities will be limited, motorists may see routine maintenance activities taking place, such as debris cleanup well off the roadway," he said. "Work on I-95 at Nassau River is not expected to take place, however motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and use caution as a long-term lane closure is underway for the construction."

The $11.8 million project affects both interstate bridges. Most work will be done underneath, with extended single-lane closures on both northbound and southbound lanes required to safely make repairs, the FDOT said.

Arlington roadwork begins

The FDOT has also begun median modifications on two spots along Atlantic Boulevard near Century 21 Drive/Acme Street, and from Monument Road to Anniston Road.

That $1.1 million project includes milling and resurfacing the road, plus installation of traffic separators, striping and signage. No lane closures will be allowed between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. each day.

The FDOT said the roadwork should be done by fall.

Holiday gas pains

Traveling this Memorial Day weekend?

Prepare for even higher gas prices, unfortunately.

The average price for gasoline in Florida reached a new record of $4.50 per gallon in mid-May, beating the previous record of $4.38 set in March. Yes, right after Russia invaded Ukraine. The last record high was $4.08 per gallon in 2008, AAA said.

Price check: Where are the lowest gas prices in Jacksonville? Here’s an updated list.

Florida's average price jumped about 31 cents in the first weeks of May, costing Florida consumers an average $67 for a full 15-gallon tank of gas, AAA said. That's $24 more than what drivers paid this time last year.

AAA Auto Club Group spokesman Mark Jenkins said holiday motorists can expect more gas pump sticker shock as nationwide prices were already averaging $4.60 per gallon a few days ago and as high as $4.65 in some Florida spots.

Those average prices are far beyond Memorial Day pump averages in recent years — $2.86 in 2021, $2.60 in 2019 and $2.91 in 2018, Jenkins said.

The higher prices come as AAA said the weekend is seeing the second-highest single-year increase in travelers since 2010 (2021 was the highest). About 90 percent of travelers will drive, gas prices be darned, which is 5.4 percent more than last year’s holiday weekend, AAA said.

Almost 2.2 million Floridians will travel 50 miles or more from home this weekend, an 8.3 percent increase over 2021. Nationally about 39.2 million Americans will travel, AAA said.

“Coming out of this two-year pandemic, Floridians are eager to travel again, and it doesn’t seem like record-high gas prices or other inflationary pressures will stop them,” Jenkins said. “Many may look at cost-cutting measures to offset the added expense, like driving shorter distances, staying in a less expensive hotel or spending less on shopping, dining and entertainment.”

In fact, the Memorial Day travel forecast shows that the summer season is off to a "sizzlin’ start,” AAA VP of Travel Debbie Haas said. People are more comfortable traveling now than any other time in the past two years, so travel bookings are up because of that, she said.

EV drivers locally

Electric vehicle ownership is growing steadily in Florida, maybe driven by the rising price of gasoline.

The U.S. Department of Energy states that the Sunshine State has the second-most registered electric cars in the county, with a little over 58,000 as of June 2021 when it was last surveyed. To meet that need, there are 197 public charging station ports in the Jacksonville area, according to ChargeHub at chargehub.com/en.

EV charging: Expanding on Florida roads

More than half of them offer free charges for electric cars, its interactive map system states. The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization's website at northfloridatpo.com/clean-fuels/coalition also lists how many electric vehicles are in each of its counties and the locations of EV charging stations.

Lots of EVs are being seen on Jacksonville streets these days, including Nissan Leafs, Teslas, Ford Mach-Es, MINI-E's and Volkswagen I.D.4s.

There also was a recent sighting of a new Rivian R1T at the May 14 Caffeine and Octane cruise-in at The Avenues mall. Just introduced, the Rivian has two electric motors for a combined all-wheel-drive 835 horsepower and the ability to tow up to 11,000 pounds, according to Rivian Automotive. Starting price is $67,500.

Retired Florida Times-Union staffer Bill Bortzfield has also begun a regular video blog on all things electric called EV Rider. Found at facebook.com/EVRiderFL, he has talked about the EVs he has tested, homes converted to solar power and the like.

dscanlan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4549

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Memorial Day gas prices, Jacksonville road projects and more