DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — The George Bush Boulevard Bridge in Delray Beach is closed for repair after a malfunction during an opening deemed the bridge "inoperable."
The bridge is located between Southeast 15th Street and Atlantic Avenue.
Palm Beach County spokesman John Jamason said bridge staff has been working to correct the issue since Thursday night, when the issue became evident.
Jamason said the shaft that raises the span sheared in two pieces during a recent opening.
It's not uncommon to see a drawbridge raised over the Intracoastal Waterway. It is uncommon to see a bridge stuck.
Risa Goldman, a Delray Beach resident, said she saw the bridge vertical this morning while leaving for work and didn't think anything about it.
"I'm like, 'Oh, it must be a part of the construction.' And then it wasn't until I got home that I realized, 'Uh oh, something's not right,'" she said.
Goldman said the closure changes her daily routine.
"Probably three to four times a week, I walk over to get to the beach or just walk on A1A a little bit or ride my bike, so it's very convenient," she said.
The bridge will remain out of service to vehicular traffic during the repair process.
George Bush Boulevard over the Intracoastal Waterway will be closed until further notice.
Traffic will be detoured via Northeast Fifth Avenue and Northeast Sixth Avenue to Atlantic Avenue and North Ocean Boulevard.
Katarina Bustamente said traffic along busy Atlantic Avenue will likely increase because of the closure.
"Very inconvenient, because Atlantic Avenue is completely crazy to drive and then now all the traffic is over there," she said.
