2 busy interstate bridges are among the 456 in Florida considered 'deficient.' Here's where they are
Nearly 1,500 bridges in Florida need repair, the FDOT says
Early Tuesday morning, March 26, the 1.6 mile four-lane Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed into the Patapsco River sending cars and construction workers into the water. The bridge had been hit by a large cargo ship.
The tragic event recalled memories of Florida's Sunshine Skyway bridge collapse in 1980, when a freighter struck the bridge and collapsed 1,200 feet of it. Cars and a Greyhound Bus plunged into Tampa Bay and five people were killed.
While it is unknown whether the condition of the bridge played a part, the accident does draw attention to the state of our country's roadways and bridges. In 2020 USA TODAY reported that 7.6% of all the bridges across the country needed replacement or repair. Florida ranks among the best for road and bridge conditions, but we do have bridges in dire need of repair.
What are the busiest, structurally deficient bridges in Florida?
According to the most recent American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) report, these are the top ten most-traveled bridges in Florida that were considered structurally deficient in 2023. Click each one for more details.
- Southbound I-95 (SR-9) over Dania Cut-off Canal south of Melrose Park in Broward County.
- Built in 1965, 100,750 daily traffic in 2022, 8% from trucks.
- I-295 (SR9A) over drainage ditch between the Holiday Hill and Kensington neighborhoods of Jacksonville, in Duval County.
- Built in 2004, 82,000 daily traffic in 2021, 12% from trucks.
- N. Lake Blvd EB over LWDD C-17 Canal near Lake Park in Palm Beach County.
- Built in 1976, 55,500 daily traffic in 2022, 7% from trucks.
- SR 816 Oakland Pk over Canal C-13 between Lauin Broward County.
- Built in 1975, 52,500 daily traffic, 9% from trucks.
- US98 SR30 over ICWW & Brooks St. in Fort Walton Beach in Okaloosa County (John T. Brooks Bridge).
- Built in 1964, 50,500 daily traffic, 5% from trucks.
- WB NW 25th St. over North Line Canal in Miami in Miami-Dade County.
- Built in 2016, 48,400 daily traffic, 5% from trucks.
- Sheridan St (Cr822) over Florida's Turnpike in Hollywood in Broward County.
- Built in 1965, 45,800 daily traffic, 5% from trucks.
- Del Prado Blvd NB over Lido Canal in Cape Coral in Lee County.
- Built in 1965, 43,000 daily traffic, 10% from trucks.
- SR-134 (103rd St.) over Ortega Creek in Jacksonville in Duval County.
- Built in 1983, 41,000 daily traffic, 6% from trucks.
- US-1 (SR-5) over Oyster Creek in St. Augustine in St. Johns County.
- Built in 1958, 41,000 daily traffic, 4% from trucks.