Flagler Bridge malfunctions again
Incident latest of about two dozen. Source of problem still sought.
WEST PALM BEACH — The $131.8 million Flagler Memorial Bridge once again malfunctioned Saturday afternoon, closing for several hours. By 5 p.m., the bridge was reopened to traffic between West Palm Beach and Palm Beach.
A Palm Beach Police officer told The Post that the drawbridge malfunctioned around 2:50 p.m.
The source of problem was not immediately known. Police directed traffic to alternative routes.
The building of the new bridge next to the 1938 bridge took five years to complete, a process longer and costlier than expected.
Construction caused structure issues with the old bridge, which was open to traffic at the time, and cost nearly $10 million to repair.
After all four lanes of the new bridge opened to the public last summer, it has malfunctioned around two dozen times.
A Post investigation published in August found that engineers had questioned the bridge’s design. Emails showed finger-pointing by a project manager after an internal probe when a top state transportation official contacted contractor PCL Civil Contractors’ North American president. The contractor’s delays in notifying Palm Beach about malfunctions and tests could have contributed to delays, according to the investigation.
Also known as the north bridge, it’s one of three connections between the West Palm Beach mainland and the barrier island of Palm Beach. About 16,000 vehicles cross it every day.