All six lanes of traffic on the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart reopened Tuesday, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The bridge was originally shut down in June when crews discovered during an inspection that concrete had fallen from the structure, and the inside of the bridge was corroded.
FDOT says all the cracks have been sealed. The concrete on the northbound span will also be sealed as a precaution.
The Florida Department of Transportation says this will also allow the intersection at Joan Jefferson on the south end of the bridge and Wright Boulevard on the north end to operate with six lanes of traffic and turn lanes during peak hours.
The first week of November, officials opened two lanes of traffic northbound and southbound.
FDOT says the remainder of the work will take place after Thanksgiving weekend and at that time there will be intermittent lane closures.
The project is set to be completed in February 2021.
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Original Story:
There’s finally good news for motorists who’ve had to endure frustration and detours from the four-month closure of the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart.
Officials with the Florida Department of Transportation have reopened the southbound side Thursday morning, ahead of schedule. The lanes were supposed to open on Saturday Nov. 7th.
Those lanes have been closed since June, when crews discovered during an inspection that concrete had fallen from the structure, and the inside of the bridge was corroded.
#RooseveltBridge: Sealing the bridges will protect the structures and help ensure corrosion and major closures do not occur in the future. When adding this extra protection to the scheduled work, the estimated date to restore the bridge to six lanes of traffic is now January. pic.twitter.com/3EDUdh9Wdz
— FDOT District 4 (@MyFDOT_SEFL) October 29, 2020
Now, traffic on both sides of the bridge will be limited to two lanes which allows crews to finish work on the median, as well as take measures to ensure the northbound side does not also become corroded.
The good news is that trucks will once again be allowed to use the bridge.
On the other hand, tolls will be restored on the Turnpike in that area.