JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Many viewers have emailed the 'Ask Anthony' team about the trash on the Buckman Bridge. We've done reports in the past, but a lot of you say nothing is being done about the problem.
"If you have an emergency, or you have a flat tire, there's no room to pull onto the shoulder. There's very dangerous debris on both sides," Miriam Gallet explained.
Gallet says she's tired of seeing trash on the Buckman Bridge on her daily commute. In fact, she says an abandoned tire almost caused her to have a wreck.
"Thank God that the man on my side saw it, and he quickly moved. I was able to move before the tire hit him or me," Gallet said.
If you drive the Buckman Bridge heading to Orange Park or Mandarin, you probably know the type of trash and debris Gallet is talking about.
"Mattresses, broken chairs, and broken cabinets," Gallet added.
We've spoken to the Florida Department of Transporation about this issue in the past.
"Given the volume of traffic we have on the Buckman, it certainly is a challenge," FDOT Spokesperson Hampton Ray said.
Florida Department of Transporation Spokesperson Hampton Ray explained the bridge is cleaned in regular six to eight week cycles. He said it's done on that schedule to not overuse taxpayer dollars.
"You probably don't see the activity happen. We're just like little elves that come in and do the work overnight. Hopefully, you wake up on Christmas Day and it looks really nice and clean," Ray said.
Right now, the bridge is under construction for signage and safety improvements. The contractor for this project, Watson Civil, performs routine cleaning in 2 to 4-week cycles for the areas where construction is taking place. The total contract amount for this project is $16.2 million.
"I want to emphasize my concern is the safety, because I almost got hit and who knows what would happen," Gallet added.
According to FDOT, its contractor cleaned up the bridge earlier this week and anticipates continuing with a twice-monthly sweeping program, with additional debris collection as needed.
This is also a good reminder that we all must do our part. Don't throw trash out your window and make sure anything you're hauling is secure.