SR 115 was built in separately named segments by the Jacksonville Expressway Authority. The land for the southern section, south of Beach Boulevard, was donated by Jacksonville's Skinner family. Three siblings – Bryant, Dottie and Richard Jr. – inherited thousands of acres in southeast Duval county and needed roads through the area to access their property and facilitate development. The construction of Southside Boulevard was key to the growth of the south side of Jacksonville.
Route description
Southern segment
SR 115 runs north as Southside Blvd from its terminus at US 1 through the largely residential and commercial south side of Jacksonville with crossings at Baymeadows Road, Butler Boulevard, Beach Boulevard, and Atlantic Boulevard. At the Southside Connector, SR 115 turns sharply to become the Arlington Expressway, heading west into downtown via the Mathews Bridge, where it turns north, becoming the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, and again turning to the west along with the MLK Parkway, before reaching I-95. The portion on the MLK Parkway is signed only as US 1 Alt. and US 1, not SR 115. The southern segment serves primarily as a conduit between the residential neighborhoods of the south side and the commercialized areas farther north and downtown. Heavy traffic is commonplace along most of the road.
Northern segment
Approximately two miles of SR 115 run unsigned along I-95. The second section of signed road runs from the junction of I-95 and Norwood Avenue through northwest Jacksonville, passing I-295 and ending at New Kings Rd in Callahan. The northern segment has the same function as the southern, except that it is built to lower standards and carries traffic south from the densely populated areas northwest of downtown into the heart of the city. Northbound, it is also an alternative to US 1/US 23 as a route to Callahan.
Exit list
SR 115A
Two unsigned sections of State Road 115A exist in close proximity to each other east of Downtown Jacksonville. One is the approximately stub of MLK Parkway south of SR 115; the other carries US 1 Alt. for between the Hart Bridge and MLK Parkway. Some sources indicate a third SR 115A on the ramps connecting SR 115 to I-95 at exit 340.
