VERO BEACH — The 17th Street Bridge and the Barber Bridge that lead to the Vero Beach barrier island closed at noon Sunday, according to the Indian River County Emergency Management Division.
Vero Beach Police Department officers are blocking the entrances to the bridges at the mainland end to prevent motorists from crossing over to the island.
In issuing the closure order for the bridges, the Emergency Management Division provided no indication when the links over the Indian River Lagoon might reopen.
With Hurricane Irma crossing over south Florida Sunday afternoon at about 9 miles an hour and preparing to move up the west coast during the day, Indian River County was expected to be periodically buffeted by gusty, tropical storm force winds throughout Sunday and into Sunday night.
