Hatchet Creek bridge repairs nearing completion after hurricane damage

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) — Repairs to the Hatchet Creek Bridge along State Road 26 in Alachua County are nearing completion, with construction expected to finish in September.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) expedited the $3.6 million project after the bridge sustained damage during multiple hurricanes. Construction began last September.

Hurricane Debby moved through the area in 2024, flooding the bridge and forcing a temporary closure while repairs were made. Two years before Debby, the bridge had been deemed structurally deficient.

Work to stabilize the area along State Road 26 near the Newnans Lake Conservation Area is underway. Drainage improvements for the water near the bridge are also being made.

FDOT PIO Emily Harrington said the project includes the installation of gabion baskets.

“We are also going to be putting in gabion baskets, so basically what that is going to do is if there is any water that comes in through here, it is going to protect the water that goes under the bridge and all the vegetation around the bridge, and also just help the lifelong stability of the bridge itself,” Harrington said.

The effort is designed to improve the bridge’s long-term reliability and safeguard the surrounding environment during periods of heavy rainfall, including future hurricanes.

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