JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As part of a rehabilitation project on the Mathews Bridge, an eastbound directional closure of the bridge is planned this weekend, weather and unforeseen circumstances permitting, the Florida Department of Transportation said.
According to the FDOT, about 72,000 people travel across the Mathew’s Bridge every day. With so many people traveling over it daily, it calls for a refurbishment.
The department said it is a continuation of a project it was working on in December when Alex Waddell had a rivet from the bridge go through his windshield and land in his wife’s lap.
“Construction crews or construction zones are active and things do unfortunately take place like the rivet issue. We were able to work directly with the citizens and get that handled as quickly as possible. That’s highly unusual,” Hampton Ray, FDOT Community Outreach Manager said.
Waddell said the damage from the incident included the windshield and the dashboard being replaced.
“Everything was paid for and the car has been fixed. It was a very easy and smooth process. They were very nice and very apologetic about what happened,” Waddell said.
Ray said replacing the old rivets is part of the project and the contractor was instructed to enhance the protective barrier around the structure.
“We don’t anticipate anybody having a rivet fall in their laps this weekend,” Ray said.
The eastbound lanes of the bridge will close at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5 and reopen by 6 a.m. Monday, Jan. 8. Eastbound drivers will detour via the Hart Bridge during the directional closure. Additionally, the westbound inside travel lane will be closed during this time with the westbound outside travel lane remaining open to vehicular traffic.
Stay informed about lane closures and roadwork in your area by following FDOT District 2 at @MyFDOT_NEFL on Twitter, at MyFDOTNEFL on Facebook or by visiting nflroads.com. Drivers seeking real-time traffic alerts may visit www.FL511.com or download the FL511 app.
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