CR 218 reopens Friday, 12 weeks after Hurricane Irma

County closes bridge 'out of abundance of caution' after inspection

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – Repairs to the County Road 218 bridge over Black Creek, damaged by flooding from Hurricane Irma, are complete enough that the bridge reopened to traffic Friday afternoon, the Clay County Board of Commissioners announced Thursday.

The bridge was closed Sept. 19 after an underwater bridge inspection found potential safety issues.

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LeWare Construction Company, of Leesburg, Florida, was contracted to finish repairs by Dec. 23, but has finished everything except painting, which will take place after the bridge reopens to traffic.

“We recognize that this has been a significant inconvenience and are delighted to give Clay County residents an early Christmas present as we re-open this major thoroughfare in our county,” commission Chairman Gavin Rollins.

"We thank the citizens of Clay County for their patience and cooperation during this repair,"  Dist. 5 Commissioner Gayward Hendry said.

News4Jax found a 2016 National Bridge Inventory report on the bridge that rated it functionally obsolete. The inventory found minor deteriorating of structural elements, substructure and superstructure. A 2010 report proposed rehabilitation at an estimated cost of $1.3 million.