MIAMI – Miami-Dade County has put in place weight restrictions on all 12 bridges on the Venetian Causeway.
The new limits are a result of an inspection that found the bridges are in need of repair.
The installation of the plates was done a few weeks after a county bus got stuck in a hole on the historic bridge.
"The paint is chipping all over the place. The cracks on the road over time get bigger," Gabriel Osorio said.
He crosses the causeway every day on his bicycle or scooter.
The new weight restrictions will not impact daily commuters or residents, but it has led to the temporary suspension of Miami-Dade Transit bus route A.
About 800 riders use the route daily to cross from downtown Miami to Miami Beach.
Bus stops for the South Beach local 123 route in Belle Isle have been moved to the east entrance of the Venetian Causeway near Purdy Avenue and Dade Boulevard.
"The weight limits is mostly for trucks, garbage, construction trucks, asphalt ones," county engineer Antonio Cotalero said.
All the bridges had a 15-ton limit.
County officials said a more permanent fix will take place in the coming years, but it will cost taxpayers. According to a memo from Mayor Carlos Gimenez to commissioners, the cost of replacing all 12 bridges is more than $110 million.
"We feel pretty comfortable that the bridge is safe at this point until we're able to take longer term action," added Cotalero.