All lanes of the 17th Street Bridge will close from midnight on Dec. 2 through 5 a.m. Dec. 6 as workers continue extensive repairs to the east end of the bridge in a $22.3 million rehabilitation project coordinated by the Florida Department of Transportation.
While the closure is not coming at the peak of Vero’s winter season, it is expected to affect more than 22,000 cars and trucks each day, according to FDOT. “Without question, people will have to be patient and maybe allow a few extra minutes to get where they need to go,” said Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey.
Traffic will be rerouted up A1A to exit the island via the Merrill P. Barber Bridge to the north. Eastbound traffic will be rerouted to the Barber bridge via Indian River Boulevard.
The four-year project to rehab the crumbling 400-foot eastern end of the bridge began in September of 2023 after a three-month delay, as FDOT workers relocated utility and communication cables off of the span. The December closure is necessary for the final portion of the second phase of the project – replacing the crumbling concrete and rusted metal and replacing lighting.
The third phase, as yet unscheduled, will mill and resurface the roadway from 4th Court to West Camino Del Rio, reseal the entire length of the bridge, replace and improve signage, and create markers for new bike lanes.
During all four years of the project, which is expected to last until 2028, the speed limit on the bridge has been reduced to 35 miles per hour from its usual 45 mph.
FDOT found the bridge to be “structurally deficient” in 2019. Temporary fixes were performed in 2020. At that time, traffic was shifted to one span of the bridge or the other as repairs were made to the opposite spans, and didn’t require full closure of the bridge. The project suffered significant delays, however, when a contractor went out of business and had to be replaced.
A lighted message board with the days and times of the closure will give motorists a heads-up several days before Dec. 2, Currey said. Announcements will be posted on the VBPD social media pages, as well, he said. Since this will be a full closure of the bridge, it won’t be necessary to post officers at either bridge, but he will monitor the traffic and provide assistance, if necessary, Currey said.
