Media Release

​ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The Alachua County Commission is holding a Public Engagement Meeting on Monday, June 6, 2016, at 6 p.m., to discuss and seek input from citizens on a potential new highway through Alachua County being discussed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the I-75 Relief Task Force. The meeting is in the Jack Durrance Auditorium (room 209), located on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, downtown Gainesville). The meeting will end no later than 11 p.m.

The area under consideration by the Task Force for a potential new highway would run somewhere through Western Alachua County. The road would potentially be located near Archer, Newberry/Jonesville, and Alachua/High Springs, eventually merging with I-75. At the meeting, County staff will explain the proposal and its potential impacts on residents, traffic patterns, the environment, and future development relative to the Comprehensive Plan. County staff will also distribute comment cards for the public to complete, then collect and submit them to FDOT.

View the meeting agenda and backup materials.

The public is invited to attend the meeting. It will also be available to view live on Cox Channel 12 and the County's Video on Demand website. Citizens may leave comments or questions on the County Facebook page during the meeting. Facebook comments will be collected and delivered to the FDOT.

Free parking is available in two downtown garages for citizens attending the meeting. Those attending the meeting can park in the S.W. Parking Garage (105 S.W. 3rd Street, Gainesville) or the Downtown Parking Garage (220 S.E. 2nd Ave, Gainesville). The Downtown Garage has been opened to parking for this event thanks to Ken and Linda McGurn. Bring parking stubs to the meeting for a validation ticket.

The FDOT will be holding a Community Open House on June 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Best Western Gateway Grand (4200 NW 97th Blvd, Gainesville). The FDOT Open House will have information about the I-75 relief process and allow the public to submit comments that will be forwarded to the Task Force.

On June 24, the I-75 Relief Task Force will have its second-to-final meeting, at Williston Crossings RV Resort (410 NE 5 St, Williston), from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There will be a public comment period.

Visit the I-75 Task Force website for documents, maps, meeting announcements. An online public comment portal is also available (to make comments directly to FDOT).

For more information, contact Alachua County Transportation Planning Manager Jeff Hays at 352-264-6971 or jhays@alachuacounty.us.