JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new report shows five local bridges are among the most traveled and structurally deficient bridges in Florida.
Two are along local interstates.
The bridge on Ortega Creek on 103rd Street is considered structurally deficient.
Three of the other bridges are in Duval County and one is in St. Johns County.
The state identified 1,025 bridges that needed repairs.
Of the more than 12,000 bridges in the state, 449 of them are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
This is up from 361 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2019.
Other bridges in our area that made the list include the U.S. 1 bridge over Oyster Creek, the bridge on I-95 over the Nassau River.
The bridge on State Road 13 over New Rose Creek, and a bridge on 295 over a drainage ditch (the location wasn’t specified).
Transportation officials stress that just because a bridge is structurally deficient doesn’t mean it’s unsafe in any way. It may need another inspection, a future rehab, or a complete rebuild or replacement of the bridge.
The infrastructure law that was passed in 2021 earmarked $36 billion for bridge projects across the country with $263 million of that being directed to Florida over five years, specifically to fix bridges.
Construction started on the Oyster Creek bridge last year, and work on the I-95 bridge over the Nassau River is slated to begin by the end of this year.