Beckett Bridge to remain closed until further notice

Due to a mechanical failure, the Beckett Bridge drawbridge in Tarpon Springs will remain in the closed position until further notice.

The bridge, which spans Whitcomb Bayou on Riverside Drive, remains open to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, but cannot be raised for boaters.

Beckett Bridge is the only drawbridge of its kind in Pinellas County, featuring a single-leaf movable span rather than the standard double-leaf span. It is also one of the oldest bridges in the country.

Pinellas County Public Works staff is working to secure a special order part that is needed to repair the bridge, which was built in 1924 and reconstructed in 1956.