Traffic chaos spread throughout downtown Miami Tuesday when the southbound span of the heavily traveled Brickell Avenue drawbridge became stuck in the up position after the locking mechanism sustained damage during a test operation at dawn.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) officials said they did not know how long emergency repairs, now in progress, will take but indicated it could be several days before the southbound lanes reopen. The northbound lanes remained open.
“Oh my God. It was awful,” said Therese Gagné, a commuter who was near the Brickell Avenue Bridge returning home in Key Biscayne from Miami Beach. “Cars were cutting each other off. I was stuck for more than 15 minutes before I was able to loop around and head north on U.S. 1 and then get onto I-95 to avoid the mess. I’m never taking this bridge again.”
Transportation officials said southbound traffic on the on the bridge was being re-routed to eastbound SE 4th Street.
Drivers were asked to proceed north on SE 3rd Avenue, west on SE/SW 2nd Street, south on SW 2nd Avenue, east on SW 8th Street and then back to Brickell Avenue.
Drivers could also bypass the area by staying south on I-95 and then circling back to Brickell Avenue northbound from the Key Biscayne exit.
Brickell Avenue drawbridge stuck in up position
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Brickell Avenue drawbridge stuck in up position
