JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4Jax has a traffic alert for drivers on the Buckman Bridge.
The Florida Highway Patrol has spent a number of days over the last few weeks conducting speed enforcements with aircraft, and troopers are lining up on the Clay County side of the bridge and pulling over a lot of drivers.
Troopers said they’ve been on the Clay County side of the bridge around Orange Park because of the construction on the Mandarin side. They said they don’t have as much parking room, which they said they need because of the sheer numbers of troopers waiting to catch speeders.
It’s no secret that drivers on the Buckman Bridge can sometimes be either speeding or a little dangerous, and the highway patrol is responding, troopers said. An Instagram post by the FHP shows what troopers call the “black and tan caterpillar,” about 10 cruisers waiting to pull people over.
The speed trap doesn’t sit well with some drivers.
“I think they’re out to make money,” an unnamed driver told News4Jax.
Others, however, said they support speed traps.
“That’s good because maybe it’ll slow people down,” another unnamed driver said.
The troopers aren’t using radar to monitor speeds. A pilot targets speeders from above then alerts the troopers at the end of the bridge. So, even though drivers don’t see a trooper on the bridge, and think they can drive 80 mph, they should think again.
Troopers pointed out that there are signs that show when speeds are being monitored by aircraft as a warning.
“They (are) just doing their job -- trying, (anyway),” an unnamed driver said.