NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — The State Road 31 bridge closed again Monday morning, creating traffic delays for East Lee County drivers just one week after a similar emergency closure caught commuters off guard.
FOX 4's Bella Line spoke with an FDOT spokesperson about the closure confusion:
The Florida Department of Transportation said crews discovered an issue with the grating of the 65-year-old bridge last week, prompting the sudden closure. Like the previous incident, FDOT did not notify the public about the closure until after the bridge was already shut down.
"As soon as maintenance crews hear or know of a situation to where it's an emergency, they just react, right? And so, then it takes some time to communicate that to our office, and then we, in turn, can communicate it to the media as well as the public," said Janella Newsome, FDOT spokesperson.
The lack of advance notice frustrated drivers who found themselves stuck in unexpected traffic delays during their Monday morning commute.
"We have no way of knowing that sometimes until it's too late and we're stuck in traffic. The other day, last week when they closed the bridge I spent over an hour sitting in traffic on 31 alone," said one man who was waiting to pick up his kids.
"They don't give us any advance or heads up and we've got to take Bayshore, and it just backs traffic up," said another man headed to work.
Dr. Atorod Azizinamini, a bridge engineering expert at Florida International University's Transportation Center, emphasized the broader impact of sudden bridge closures.
"The bridge can play a major role in the economy of the region, and so the mobility is very important. People don't like to get surprised, and they'd like to go on with their daily life," Azizinamini said.
Newsome said FDOT will continue repairs on the aging bridge, but noted that a replacement could be coming in the future.
FDOT says the repairs are expected to last overnight.
Drivers are advised to check for any closures before traveling and to expect detours while repairs continue. Newsome said you can head to FL511.com for the latest closures.
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