Crane strike closes Hart Bridge for several hours, reopens following FDOT inspection

The Hart Bridge has reopened to traffic in both directions following a temporary closure after it was struck by a crane on a barge Wednesday night. The roadway reopened within 4 hours of the incident after state crews evaluated the structure.

READ: Behind the scenes of Jacksonville’s bridge inspections: Ensuring safety and longevity

Florida Department of Transportation crews arrived at the scene after 7 p.m. within 20 minutes of the strike equipped with an under-bridge inspection machine, an FDOT news release states.

Officials ordered the temporary closure out of an abundance of caution to verify structural safety before allowing vehicles back onto the bridge, FDOT said.

The bridge evaluation required a multi-agency operation involving safety boats, engineers, bridge inspectors and maintenance professionals working at the site. “A coordinated response included safety boats, engineers, bridge inspectors, maintenance professionals and other personnel working together to quickly evaluate the bridge and verify its safety,” FDOT’s news release states.

“FDOT maintains a robust bridge inspection program and while a bridge strike is never anticipated, our bridge crews are trained and prepared to respond to these types of incidents,” FDOT said.

The U.S. Coast Guard is completing its incident response regarding the circumstances of the bridge strike, according to FDOT.

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