by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Already closed to pedestrians for several months the Main Street Bridge will also be closed to automotive and maritime traffic for 10 days beginning June 11. The bridge will be entirely closed and “substantial repair work” will take place.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, a floor beam located within the bridge’s lift span will be rebuilt using over 3,000 pounds of steel.
The bridge will be raised approximately eight feet to allow the reconstruction to take place.
“This is something we thought we might have to do when we began working on the bridge some time ago,” said FDOT spokesperson Mike Goldman.
The FDOT began repainting and making other structural repairs to the bridge in July 2003.
“As we progressed and got a much better look at it,” said Goldman, “we noticed how much this particular beam had deteriorated over time. It is able to support a lot of weight so it really is in everyone’s best interest that we go ahead and close it entirely while we work on it.”
Goldman was unaware when repairs were last made on the beam.
“It’s a complicated sequence of repairs, but by doing it this way we are going to be able remain on schedule and largely within our $7.2 million budget,” he said.
Goldman said all bridge work should wrap by September.
And though “fully closed,” activities at this weekend’s Sail Jacksonville Tall Ships parade will not be affected.
“We were very careful when we planned this so that Sail Jacksonville could be executed as planned,” he said. “For that weekend, those ships will be able to pass through the bridge.”
After that, Goldman said ships too tall for the bridge will have to find alternate routes.
“That’s the way it’s going to work,” he said. “It is only temporary and we want to stress that, for automotive traffic at least, the Acosta Bridge will serve as a capable alternative.
“These are really the most significant repairs that we’ve made to the Main Street Bridge in a very long time. For some time we’ve been replacing other bridges in the area but it’s still a viable transportation route and it’s not going anywhere any time soon.”
Goldman said when work is completed, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority is expected to begin work on a separate bridge lighting project. That project is scheduled for completion before the Super Bowl in February.