County Road 16A Closes for Three Straight Weekends Starting Friday — Plan a 12-Mile Detour

County Road 16A will fully close between Timberwolf Trail and River Reach Parkway on three consecutive weekends beginning at 8 p.m. this Friday, July 24, sending northwestern St. Johns County drivers onto a roughly 12-mile detour as crews install pipe across the roadway for the First Coast Expressway. For families near World Golf Village who rely on CR 16A for weekend errands, church trips, and commutes, that means rerouting the same drive three weekends in a row.

The closures are tied to construction of the First Coast Expressway, the new toll route taking shape across northwestern St. Johns County. According to the county, the roadway has to be fully shut down — not just narrowed — so crews can put pipe in across CR 16A.

When the road will be closed

Each closure runs from Friday evening through early Monday morning, so the road reopens for the workweek. Here are the three windows the county has confirmed:

The affected stretch is CR 16A between Timberwolf Trail and River Reach Parkway. Outside of these weekend windows, the road is expected to be open as usual.

The detour

During each closure, drivers will be routed around the work zone by way of State Road 16 and State Road 13. According to local media reports, the detour adds up to roughly 12 miles, so it's worth building extra time into any weekend trip that normally crosses this segment.

Why the work is happening

CR 16A is one of the connectors threading through the growing corridor near World Golf Village, and it sits in the path of the next phase of the First Coast Expressway. The larger project is extending the toll route through northwestern St. Johns County, work that has been reshaping traffic patterns across this side of the county for months.

Pipe installation across a roadway is the kind of job that typically requires closing the full width of the pavement rather than keeping a lane open, which is why the county opted for short, back-to-back weekend shutdowns rather than a longer continuous closure. Scheduling the work overnight and on weekends is meant to keep weekday commutes moving.

Residents who want to see the exact detour map or confirm the latest schedule can find the county's notice on the St. Johns County road closures page.

What drivers should do

• Expect the closure only from Friday night through Monday at 5 a.m. on each of the three weekends listed above.
• Follow the posted detour via State Road 16 and State Road 13, and allow extra travel time for the added distance.
• Watch for changing signage and crews in the work zone, especially after dark.

For more coverage of St. Johns County road projects and travel alerts, visit St. Johns Community and browse our latest alerts and government & politics stories. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the newest updates, and share how these closures are affecting your neighborhood by joining the conversation in our Community Forum.