After years of shifting timelines and mounting confusion over the future of the King Street Bridge, St. Augustine residents are once again facing uncertainty over what comes next.
At this week’s City Commission meeting, City Manager David Birchim said the Florida Department of Transportation is mulling a short-term repair option instead of the previously announced demolition and full replacement of the aging span.
Birchim stressed that FDOT had not yet made a final calll but said the city had been told the bridge could close for roughly a month for stopgap repairs before reopening to traffic.
That plan would “encapsulate the beams and pylons underneath the bridge itself, and then maybe backfill it with a grout or cement to stabilize the bridge and give it a few more years of lifespan before they remove it,” Birchim said.
In a statement to The Citizen, FDOT confirmed that no final decision has been made.
While a full bridge replacement has been their focus, FDOT said it is also exploring a repair option to shorten traffic snarls and reduce headaches for local businesses and residents.
FDOT crews are currently installing a temporary traffic signal at U.S. 1 and Malaga Street to assist with detour traffic when construction moves forward.
The latest update marks a shift from FDOT’s earlier plan, which called for a $13.4 million full replacement beginning in summer 2025 and ending in spring 2027.
That project would have demolished the existing bridge and constructed a new span with two 11-foot travel lanes, an 11-foot center turn lane, expanded sidewalks, upgraded lighting and new railings.
