Jacksonville, Florida: Hart Bridge Closed in Both Directions After Barge Crane Strikes Span

A crane carried on a barge struck the Hart Bridge over the St. Johns River in Jacksonville on Wednesday night, and the Florida Department of Transportation closed the bridge in both directions while inspectors check the structure.

Updated 15:44 UTC: bridge reopened shortly before midnight after inspectors cleared it

The Hart Bridge reopened shortly before midnight on Wednesday, about four hours after the strike, after Florida Department of Transportation inspectors declared the structure safe, the Florida Times-Union reported in an updated account of the closure. News4JAX carried the reopening in a traffic alert saying the bridge reopened in both directions after the barge crane strike, and Action News Jax reported the bridge reopened following the FDOT inspection. The transportation department said inspectors cleared the bridge to reopen in the late night hours on Wednesday. It is still not clear what caused the crane to hit the bridge, the Times-Union said. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office redirected traffic away from the bridge for several hours during the closure.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the impact happened at about 7:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, and that vehicles were on the bridge at the time. No injuries have been reported. The department of transportation said it closed the bridge out of an abundance of caution after the impact, and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is redirecting all traffic away from the bridge.

Inspectors are checking the structure

The transportation department said inspectors are being dispatched to assess the bridge's structure, and the bridge will remain closed until inspectors determine that it is safe to reopen. The department gave no estimated timeline for reopening on Wednesday night.

The crane was on a barge in the St. Johns River when the impact occurred. Officials have not yet said what caused the crane to hit the bridge, and the extent of damage to the bridge, if any, is not yet known.

A main crossing for the city

The Hart Bridge is one of five major bridges crossing the St. Johns River in the heart of Jacksonville, along with the Acosta, Fuller Warren, Main Street and Mathews bridges. It links the sports complex on the northwest side of the river with areas south and east of the river, including St. Nicholas and Empire Point, and its expressway carries drivers on to Atlantic Boulevard, Emerson Street, University Boulevard and Beach Boulevard.

The bridge opened to traffic on Nov. 2, 1967, after $8.5 million in construction, and the transportation department's Traffic Characteristics Inventory recorded an annual average of 40,500 vehicles per day crossing it in 2025, the most recent data set available. While the closure continues, many drivers are expected to take the Mathews Bridge, which crosses the river just northeast of the sports complex and continues to Arlington. The Hart Bridge is known to many residents as the Green Monster, for its role as the final major obstacle in Jacksonville's Gate River Run.

A longer closure has happened before

This is not the first time a vessel has shut down a major Jacksonville bridge. On Sept. 26, 2013, the Mathews Bridge was struck by a cargo ship, the USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin, as three tugboats attempted to tow the 754-foot vessel beneath the bridge. Damage to a support beam in that strike forced the Mathews Bridge to stay closed until Oct. 29 of that year. Officials have not said whether the Hart Bridge took any comparable damage on Wednesday night, and drivers should expect the crossing to stay closed until the inspection is finished and the department says otherwise.