UPDATE: All lanes on Buckman Bridge are back open

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UPDATE 9/27/21 6:30 p.m.:

Two southbound lanes on the Buckman Bridge are back open.

The Florida Department of Transportation said there was a slight abrasion or spall on the bridge deck and the two lanes were closed “out of an abundance of caution.” However, the lane closures were not ordered or requested by FDOT.

FDOT also said the closure was not related to the finger joint that was repaired during the summer.

Below is FDOT’s full statement regarding the closure:

The Buckman Bridge saw two unplanned lane closures during peak traffic hours this evening on the southbound direction of the bridge. The lanes were closed out of an abundance of caution by Florida Highway Patrol.

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) officials observed what appeared to be a slight abrasion, or spall, on the bridge deck and directed maintenance crews to patch the spall during routine lane closures during off-peak hours.

Spalls are common, routine bridge maintenance components that do not require immediate attention and at no point was the safety of motorists compromised. The spall in question was not related to the finger joint that was repaired over the summer.

The lane closures were not ordered or requested by FDOT.

The spall on the Buckman Bridge has been repaired and the lane closures ordered by the Florida Highway Patrol have been picked up.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Two right lanes on the southbound Buckman Bridge on Interstate 295 “are closed indefinitely,” according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

FHP said the road requires repairs and construction crews are on scene.

Drivers are urged to use caution in the area.

This is not the first construction issue that has needed to be addressed on the bridge. In July, six weeks of repairs began to repair a damaged finger joint.

©2021 Cox Media Group