JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The southbound lanes of the Buckman Bridge are beginning to reopen as the Florida Department of Transportation pulls constructions crews who were working on temporary repairs to the road Thursday.
All southbound lanes of I-295 from US-17 to the Buckman Bridge were blocked shortly after 7 a.m. after the Florida Highway Patrol received a call regarding possible damage to the bridge. When troopers arrived, they saw "an area of minor damage to the roadway," which forced the closure.
FDOT said its crews would conduct temporary repairs Thursday, with additional permanent repairs to take place in the coming weeks.
The FHP says the damaged area is an expansion joint which is part of the bridge that is meant to accommodate the expansion and contraction of concrete in the heat of the bridge.
Some movement within these joints is normal, but FHP says not to the extent that was seen Thursday morning.
A civil engineer from the construction company working on the bridge recommended the closure for an emergency inspection.
According to a bridge inspection report, the bridge was last inspected in February of 2020 and good ratings.
Until the bridge is fully reopened, you may need to use an alternate route to get around the area.
ALTERNATE ROUTES: If you have to get across the river, there's really no easy way to do that. Here are your options:
- Go NB on US-17 to I-10 EB and use I-10 to the Fuller Warren then 95 SB.
- Go SB on US-17 to the Shands Bridge in Green Cove Springs
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