UPDATE: Crane strike closes Hart Bridge for several hours, reopens following FDOT inspection
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Hart Bridge is closed after a crane on a barge struck the span across the St. Johns River, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation said.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are closing the bridge until inspectors (can ensure its safety),” said Hampton Ray, an agency spokesman.
The accident occurred about 7 p.m. Wednesday as the barge was attempting to pass south below the Hart Bridge located near EverBank Stadium.
Ray said inspectors are heading to the bridge to assess any damage and to make sure the bridge remains safe for travel by motorists. They are using an under-bridge inspection machine.
“We’re looking for cracks, we’re looking for dents, we’re looking for anything that’s out of place. All of our bridges are extremely safe so every two years at minimum, at the federal standard, we inspect our bridges,” Ray said.
It is unclear how long the process will take, said a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. As of 9 p.m., crews were waiting on an additional engineer.
JSO is on scene redirecting traffic and advised motorists to seek an alternate route.
Updates provided:
- Waiting for an additional engineer. They have some here.
- Under bridge inspection machine (UBIM) has been mobilized.
- Using UBIM to go over the bridge (crane with a lot of lights).
- They’ve seen the strike. But haven’t been able to get close enough to inspect fully.
- Could be here for a while, unsure about how long until they have more firm info on the inspection.
- Strike occurred on Matthews bridge side of the bridge.
FDOT has not provided a timeline for when the bridge will reopen as crews continue inspecting the damage.
Check back with Action News Jax for updates.
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