Damage to a finger joint on the southbound side of the Buckman Bridge forced a shutdown of the southbound lanes of the bridge and Interstate-295 southbound ahead of the bridge Thursday morning in the heart of rush hour, creating a traffic mess for commuters trying to get across the St. Johns River from Orange Park to Jacksonville.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said temporary repairs were being made and that the southbound side of the bridge was reopened Thursday afternoon.
Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Dylan Bryan told WJCT News partner News4Jax that troopers got a call Thursday morning about possible damage toward the top of the span of the Buckman Bridge. He said one of the segments of the bridge had reportedly lifted slightly at one of the expansion joints, causing slight damage to the roadway.
FDOT spokesman Hampton Ray said in an email sent to WJCT News that permanent repairs would be made during off peak hours and will require lane closures.
TRAVEL ADVISORY: The southbound lanes of the Buckman Bridge have REOPENED to traffic following repair work by FDOT personnel. A temporary repair is in place that will allow vehicles to travel safely over the bridge. A more permanent repair will be scheduled in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/ObBdr4HYH2
— FDOT District 2 (@MyFDOT_NEFL) May 27, 2021
TRAVEL ADVISORY UPDATE: Temporary repairs are currently taking place on the southbound side of the Buckman Bridge. Southbound lanes are expected to reopen this afternoon. Additional, more permanent repairs are expected to take place in the future. pic.twitter.com/hPRT7tEWYF
— FDOT District 2 (@MyFDOT_NEFL) May 27, 2021
Video coverage and additional information is available in this News4Jax story.
