JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Buckman Bridge shut down for eight hours Thursday after damage to the roadway prompted structural concerns.
Action News Jax requested the latest inspection of the Buckman Bridge from the Florida Department of Transportation.
Crews conduct routine bridge inspections once every two years.
The latest report on the Buckman was completed in April of 2019.
The bridge was partially inspected after a crash in February of 2020.
FDOT could only release part of the report because of ‘sensitive’ information.
The Buckman received a 96 Health Index out of a total 100 points.
Kathleen Ruvarac, the district VP for the Florida Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), said that is a good rating.
FDOT said a damaged finger joint prompted Thursday’s shut down.
It’s now temporarily fixed with metal plates, but a representative said a permanent repair will take place.
The ASCE produces a national and state bridge report card.
Ruvarac said the national average is a ‘C’.
Florida ranks above the country with a ‘B’ average.
“The state of Florida does a really good job of not only repairing our bridges — but keeping our bridges in good condition compared to other states in the country,” she told Action News Jax’s Robert Grant.
FDOT maintains 12,000 total bridges across the country including 7 in Northeast Florida which are all made of concrete and steel.
“There’s improvement in materials and that increases the performance of the bridge,” Ruvarac said.
Bridges built in the 1950′s generally have a life span of 50 years.
The Buckman was built in 1970. “It does not necessarily mean that at the 50 year mark the bridge stops being of service. Many times we can do a rehabilitation of the bridge.”
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