Drivers on State Road 16 near International Golf Parkway will encounter a new traffic pattern starting around Thursday, Oct. 1.

St. Johns County will shift eastbound traffic onto newly built lanes along a quarter-mile stretch of SR 16 between the AutoZone driveway and 7-Eleven, according to a county press release. The change is part of the SR 16 Widening Project, which is adding two travel lanes from International Golf Parkway to just past County Road 2209.

The shift brings a permanent change for anyone turning right from International Golf Parkway onto SR 16. Those drivers will be required to stop before turning because westbound traffic will use the right lane. That stop requirement stays even after the widening project wraps up.

Access to AutoZone and 7-Eleven will not change.

Variable message boards and temporary traffic signs will guide drivers through the new pattern. "We encourage drivers to pay close attention to the temporary signage and use caution as they become familiar with the new traffic pattern," Valerie Pacetti, project manager for St. Johns County Public Works, said in the county's Sept. 9 announcement.

Once eastbound traffic moves to the new lanes, the contractor will tear up and rebuild the two existing SR 16 lanes. Those rebuilt lanes will become the permanent eastbound travel lanes when construction finishes. The corridor sees heavy use during peak travel periods near International Golf Parkway and Pacetti Road, which is why the county launched the widening effort.

The Ponte Vedra Recorder first reported the traffic shift on Wednesday, Sept. 23. St. Johns County also posted the announcement on its X account on Thursday, Sept. 24.

The project broke ground on July 26, 2025, and was approximately 70% complete as of Sept. 9. The entire widening project is expected to finish in early spring 2027.

Residents can track progress on the SR 16 project and other county capital improvements at sjcfl.us/services-and-information/featured-projects.