Coastline Drive closes because of continued deterioration

The fallout from the collapse of Liberty Street continues.

Since the bridge structure collapsed along the Northbank about a year ago, Liberty Street between Coastline Drive and Courthouse Drive has been closed, along with the adjoining portion of Coastline Drive and the parking lot which those streets border. Coastline Drive in front of the Hyatt has been reduced to one lane.

Now, the FDOT confirms to WOKV that ongoing deterioration has led them to recommend shutting Coastline in front of the Hyatt entirely for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

“This has been an ongoing process as far as trying to determine the structure and the safety,” says FDOT spokesman Ron Tittle.

The closure itself is ultimately up to the City to carry out, and the road is, in fact, blocked by barricades at this time.  A City Spokeswoman tells WOKV she’s looking in to what is happening.

GALLERY: Liberty Street collapses

Because of the state of the road- which is technically considered a bridge because it's built on a special structure over the water- the FDOT has been increasing the inspections they're performing in the area. Even ahead of the collapse, the inspection reports for both bridge structures raised concerns, although the details are limited because the reports themselves are not made available for public release.

The City has come up with a plan to demolish and rebuild the structure and provided funding. We're working to update where we stand in that process.