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St. Augustine residents call intersection construction 'a big mess'

The $9.3 million project is supposed to move traffic smoothly along May Street and along San Marco Avenue.

Lanes opened Wednesday at a busy intersection in St. Augustine which has been under construction for two years. 

It's at the crossroads of May Street and San Marco Avenue. 

However, some people are skeptical it will really ease traffic congestion. 

"I think it's going to be a hot mess," hairstylist Heather Staley said. She works at the nearby Mahalea Salon. 

"I go all the way out of my way to avoid it," she said. 

The $9.3 million project is supposed to move traffic smoothly along May Street and along San Marco Avenue.  However, some people have said it is currently very congested. 

"I know in the afternoons, the traffic from Vilano is still a problem," Romey Maloy said. 

The state is transforming the intersection into an alternative version of a round-about. The agency calls a peanut.

A few months from completion, some drivers are finding it confusing.

"I think it's confusing because it's not done," Staley said. 

Drivers coming westbound, in from Vilano Beach, have to make a tight right turn, no matter what part of town they're heading to. No left turns are permitted. Some people say that the curve is too tight for big trucks and for cars pulling trailers.

Bainca Speights with the Department of Transportation said the project has taken longer than expected because of weather, festival delays, and utility delays. She said the project is expected to be completed in September.

Even when that happens, Staley doubts it will help traffic flow.

"I'm going to bring cocktails and a lawn chair and watch when they open it up for entertainment," Staley said.

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