Traffic on the Buckman Bridge southbound.Traffic on the Buckman Bridge southbound.
Traffic in southbound lanes of the Buckman Bridge will be slowed this weekend during repair work. | Google

Buckman Bridge repairs mean more backups this weekend

Published on March 20, 2026 at 11:36 am
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F.

Drivers can expect two southbound lanes of the Buckman Bridge to be closed this weekend as part of a project to replace steel joints.

That means traffic backups could occur for drivers heading into Mandarin from Orange Park, the Florida Department of Transportation warns.

Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.

Two lanes of Interstate 295 South over the Buckman Bridge closed at 10 a.m. Friday and will reopen by 4 a.m. Monday. 

Along with the replacements of steel joints between concrete road sections, the $5.5 million project includes partial coatings and structural steel work on the bridge.

Similar work on previous weekends caused southbound traffic to back up to the Collins Road exit and beyond on Jacksonville’s Westside. Traffic also snarled on U.S. 17 and Blanding Boulevard as drivers tried to get onto the bridge to get to Mandarin from Duval and Clay counties.

Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.

The detours to get across the St. Johns River are long — 21 miles north to cross via the Fuller Warren Bridge or 18 miles south to use the Shands Bridge

The work is expected to wrap up this summer.

FDOT offers information on all regional road closures at MyFDOTNEFL on Facebook.


author image Reporter email Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with 40 years as a radio, television and print reporter in the Jacksonville area, as well as years of broadcast work in the Northeast. After a stint managing a hotel comedy club, Dan began a 34-year career as police and current events reporter at The Florida Times-Union before joining the staff of WJCT News 89.9.