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FDOT’s June 19 Updates on Roosevelt Bridge

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) continues to work with a statewide team of bridge experts to assess the situation at the Roosevelt Bridge. FDOT will now issue this update daily. FDOT will also post updates on its fdot.gov/Roosevelt and social media accounts regularly.

FDOT Secretary Kevin J. Thibault, P.E. is in constant communication with FDOT District Four Secretary Gerry O’Reilly and bridge inspection experts to monitor the ongoing situation.

June 19 updates:

Testing and inspections of both bridges will continue throughout the weekend until at least Wednesday, June 24. The department hopes to provide a timeline for re-opening after this time. No portion of the bridges will re-open until they are determined to be safe by the statewide team of bridge experts.

At this time, preliminary findings on the southbound bridge are anticipated to result in a closure for an extensive period of time.

Additionally, samples continue to be sent to the FDOT laboratory in Gainesville to review the bridge materials and help identify the cause of the issues.

FDOT is also:

  • Coordinating with local municipalities to adjust traffic signal timing and alleviate congestion due to the detour routes.
  • Transporting equipment that will be used to support a portion of the first span of the southbound bridge. Crews will be working throughout the night to get equipment in place as soon as possible.

Recent actions FDOT has taken in response to the Roosevelt Bridge:

  • June 16
    • During a routine biannual inspection period, and based upon feedback from local partners, FDOT inspectors found cracks on the southernmost span of the southbound Roosevelt Bridge. The Roosevelt Bridge is two separated bridges (three lanes each) over the St. Lucie River. In an abundance of caution, the Department closed the southbound bridge until a thorough safety inspection could be completed.
  • June 17
    • Initial inspections of the northbound bridge identified areas of concern and the northbound bridge was also closed. FDOT immediately assembled a statewide team of bridge experts who began assessing the situation and performing a full structural review. The waterway and FEC railroad corridor remain unaffected. Motorists looking to cross the St. Lucie River on S.R. 707/Dixie Highway were instructed to follow detour signs. Law enforcement was also on-site providing assistance.
    • FDOT suspended tolls for traffic entering and exiting Florida’s Turnpike between milepost 133 (Monterey Rd) and milepost 142 (Port St. Lucie Blvd) to facilitate the detour of traffic in and around the City of Stuart.
    • FDOT completed the initial interior visual and sounding inspection of the northbound and southbound portions of the Roosevelt Bridge. From there, experts began analyzing the results and completing a full structural review.
    • FDOT alerted public there was no impact to marine traffic traveling underneath the Roosevelt Bridge.
  • June 18
    • Bridge engineering experts arrived to assist in the full structural review and assessment of the Roosevelt Bridge. Experts include structures materials engineers from the FDOT Gainesville Materials Office, bridge engineering experts from the FDOT Central Office in Tallahassee, and consultant partners and contractors with expertise in bridge inspection, bridge analysis, materials testing, structures repair bridge shoring and construction. Ground penetrating radar equipment was to check specific areas of the bridge which were identified by bridge inspectors to allow FDOT to see inside the bridge deck to identify any potential corrosion areas.
    • FDOT began working on plans to support the southernmost span of the southbound bridge over Dixie Highway with the goal of safely opening Dixie Highway to traffic.
    • The inspections revealed the first span of the southbound bridge had severe corrosion causing the steel tendons that support the bridge to be severely deteriorated. FDOT advised road users that no individuals should be under, over or anywhere near this segment of the bridge and fenced off the entire area immediately.
    • The FDOT concrete inspection team used two “Snooper” trucks on Roosevelt Bridge to inspect the sides and underneath the bridge as part of a full structural review.

For additional real-time updates on the Roosevelt Bridge, follow FDOT District Four on social media:

Members of the public wishing to receive these updates can also subscribe online by providing their email address on fdot.gov/Roosevelt.