Planned Vaca Cut Bridge lane closures canceled in Marathon
The planned 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. lane closures on Vaca Cut Bridge were canceled, sparing Marathon drivers the backup they were warned to expect. FDOT still has a longer rehab job planned.
Drivers headed across Vaca Cut Bridge got a break: the lane closures expected to slow traffic in Marathon between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. were canceled. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office announced the change, and the update did not explain why the work was scrubbed.
The bridge sits on State Road 5 and U.S. 1, better known locally as the Overseas Highway, at mile posts 5.094 to 5.173 in Marathon. The Florida Department of Transportation identifies it as Bridge No. 900126 and says it is moving ahead with a rehabilitation project aimed at repairing bridge concrete elements and installing corrosion protection measures to improve performance and extend the span’s service life.
FDOT’s project materials say temporary lane closures are expected during construction, but access to nearby businesses and residences will be maintained. Pedestrian detours also are expected to be signed when work begins. The agency scheduled a public meeting on the design project for Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at Marathon City Hall, with a virtual attendance option available as well.
The project fact sheet lists a preliminary cost of $1.5 million. It also sets the construction schedule for spring 2027 through spring 2028, with both the cost and timing subject to change as the project moves forward.
The canceled lane closures came as Marathon continues to absorb other traffic-sensitive road work along the U.S. 1 corridor. A separate deep-well project announced in February 2026 was expected to create 24-hour lane closures between Marathon Community Park and Vaca Cut Bridge, with the first closure set for Feb. 17 and lane shifts planned every six to eight weeks.
Vaca Cut Bridge has also been a trouble spot when incidents occur. In May 2023, a barge carrying an excavator struck the underside of the bridge’s northern edge, briefly closing the southbound lanes until the barge was freed about an hour later. For now, the canceled inspection closures spared Marathon another daytime bottleneck, but the bridge remains on the list of infrastructure projects that could affect traffic again as FDOT’s rehabilitation schedule advances.
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