The State Road 16 and State Road 13 intersection in St. Johns County will close briefly each afternoon through Friday, Sept. 18, for bridge beam deliveries.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced Monday, Sept. 14, that crews will shut down the intersection intermittently between noon and 3 p.m. each day from Monday, Sept. 14, through Friday, Sept. 18. Trucks hauling large concrete bridge beams to the project site need the full intersection cleared to navigate safely.

The closures are tied to the First Coast Expressway's Shands Bridge project, an about $595 million effort to build a new four-lane bridge over the St. Johns River just south of the existing Shands Bridge. A design-build team of WGI, Inc., Johnson Bros. Corporation and American Bridge is handling the work, according to the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce.

FDOT did not specify a detour. The agency advised drivers to use alternate routes if possible and to build extra time into afternoon trips. FDOT spokesperson Sherri Byrd authored the press release but did not name recommended alternate roads.

The First Coast Expressway spans 46 miles. Segments in Duval County are complete, Clay County's portion is nearly finished, and construction is now advancing in St. Johns County. The full expressway is expected to open by 2030.

Sarah Pleasants, an FDOT community outreach specialist, described the broader project at a St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council breakfast on Jan. 30. "Construction is a temporary inconvenience for a long-term transportation solution," Pleasants said at the event.

Drivers can check real-time conditions at FL511.com, through the FL511 app, or at nflroads.com. FDOT District 2 also posts updates on X at @MyFDOT_NEFL and on Facebook at MyFDOTNEFL.

The closures are scheduled to end after Friday, Sept. 18. FDOT has not announced additional disruptions at this intersection beyond that date.