LAKE COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – Lake County has announced that it will temporarily reopen both lanes on Haynes Creek Bridge along County Road 44 in Leesburg, beginning Friday, April 10, 2026.
Traffic on the bridge was restricted to one lane a week ago when a hole developed in the decking. Since then, temporary steel plating has been installed to reinforce the damaged portion of the bridge, and Lake County Public Works staff have been monitoring conditions.
According to the announcement, the lane is being reopened in anticipation of increased traffic due to upcoming events such as Leesburg Bikefest (April 25-27) and the Lake County Fair (August 28-31), but the safe gross vehicle weight limit for crossing will be reduced to 16 tons.
“Once the county’s bridge engineer finalizes the design for permanent repairs, plans will be submitted to the Florida Department of Transportation [FDOT] for review and approval,” the announcement read. “After approval is received, Lake County will proceed with contracting for the final repair work.”
Intermittent lane closures will still be necessary as work on the bridge continues.