Long stretches of Interstate 295 in Jacksonville are missing the flexible white poles that are supposed to separate the tolled express lanes from general-purpose traffic, leaving wide gaps that drivers can use to jump in and out. Those delineators are meant to slow and channel lane changes. When they are broken or gone, safety advocates say the corridor becomes more hazardous for everyone using it. Recent local reporting has turned up the heat on who is responsible and what the maintenance contract actually demands.
As reported by Action News Jax, reporter Ben Becker visited the Southside and Mandarin corridors multiple times and documented dozens of missing poles, with some stretches showing more than three consecutive delineators gone. Stuart Ratzan, a South Florida trial lawyer quoted in the piece, warned the gaps "create an invitation for lane diving" and argued the pattern has been worsened by a lack of maintenance. The report also notes that drivers who intentionally drive through the plastic poles can be cited for a moving violation, and the station put that penalty at about $179 and up to four license points.
What the contract actually says
FDOT’s performance-based asset-maintenance documents spell out how the department enforces repairs. Its Florida Department of Transportation "Scope of Services" lists a range of deductions for damaged or missing markers and specifically treats "More than three consecutive delineators missing" as a $10,000 deduction per location. That penalty is one line in a table of performance criteria and automated deductions the department can apply. Public procurement and project listings for the region show express-lane facilities on I-295 are included in FDOT’s asset-maintenance program, so a contractor is contractually responsible for routine delineator replacement, with a recent project listing for the Turnpike and Zone 5 asset-maintenance package offered as context.
FDOT says it is replacing markers but has not fined the contractor
In an emailed statement to Action News Jax, FDOT said, "Approximately 23,200 delineators are installed along the I-295 Express Lanes" and that "about 175 delineators are replaced monthly on the East and West Beltways as part of regular maintenance cycles." The department told the station it has not issued fines, penalties or warnings to the contractor related to missing delineators.
Risk and potential liability
Safety lawyers and advocates say replacing broken posts is a short-term fix and that the situation calls for a more permanent barrier or stepped-up enforcement to curb last-second lane diving. Because the contract sets a $10,000 deduction per location, multiple long gaps could translate into six-figure penalties if FDOT chose to assess them, although the department says it has not done so. For now, drivers should expect delineator repairs on rolling maintenance cycles and should avoid using the gaps as an informal entrance to the tolled lanes.
Legal context
The $10,000 figure is drawn from FDOT’s contract language and would be enforced administratively through the department’s contracting process. The contract text is publicly available. County courts handle moving violations and point assessments under Florida law, and local traffic options along with the process for paying or contesting citations are outlined by the Duval County Clerk of Court.
