If you were planning to use the Mathews or Hart Bridges this weekend, you may want to reconsider your travel plan.
The Florida Department of Transportation has multiple projects underway.
Starting at 6 p.m. Friday, the westbound side of the Mathews Bridge will be closed as crews work on repairing portions of the bridge’s deck. Eastbound drivers will see an inside lane closure. During the closure drivers will be detoured to the Hart Bridge.
The lanes are expected to reopen Sunday at 6 a.m.
Hart Bridge Closed In Both Directions Sunday
As workers reopen lanes on the Mathews Bridge they’ll also be shutting down both sides of the Hart Bridge. The Hart is scheduled to be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, with motorists detoured over to the Mathews.
Crews will be working on steel and coating repairs.
“The maintenance on these bridges is really important and critical to maximizing the lifespan of the bridges. Jacksonville is an iconic city. We’re known for our bridges. There are seven that span over the St. Johns River and we want to make sure that these bridges are around for a really long time,” said FDOT spokesman Hampton Ray.
Mariners will not be impacted by the projects, according to FDOT.
Earlier FDOT also announced plans for a Fuller Warren Bridge traffic shift and temporary ramp closures over the weekend, which was reported in an earlier version of this story.
However, Thursday afternoon FDOT spokewoman Odette Struys announced the Fuller Warren traffic shift is being delayed due to this weekend's weather forecast.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
Mathews Bridge photo used under Creative Commons license.
