The Florida Department of Transportation is investigating damage to Jacksonville’s Main Street Bridge after a river cruise ship crashed into it Friday evening.
The accident occurred just before 7:30 p.m. during the annual lighting of the Christmas tree at the Jacksonville Landing. The bridge was closed for hours and reopened by Saturday morning.
Members of the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Department of Transportation officials investigated damage to the bridge and vessel after the incident.
FDOT spokesman Ron Tittle calls the damage “minimal” after the initial review.
“They will continue reviewing and assessing what needs to be done, what repairs would be done in the future, and any costs related and these kinds of things,” he said.
Tittle also said ongoing bridge maintenance should not be affected by the bridge incident. Weeknight and nightly closures will start again in the coming days.
Replacements of the bridge’s mechanical and electrical systems are scheduled to be complete some time next year.
News intern Blake Allen can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org or on Twitter @BAllenMMJ.
