Main Street Bridge closed for construction as new school year begins in Duval

Jacksonville, Fl —

You’ll need a different route into and out of downtown Jacksonville this week as the Main Street Bridge is closed today through Saturday for a rehabilitation project. The state says the closure to all traffic, including bikes and pedestrians, is needed for the safety of crews. The work will provide critical information to support design and future construction, as well as planning for future maintenance projects.

Back to School Forecast: Heating up with a few showers/storms: This morning we are tracking a dry morning commute in Jacksonville and NE Florida for the first day of school. Highs today will be in the lower 90s with feels like temperatures at or just above 100 degrees. A few late day showers or storms are possible. There will be many dry hours today with partly sunny to partly cloudy skies. The heat builds this week with highs in the lower to mid 90s the next few days.

TROPICS: A vigorous tropical wave—deemed 97L—is moving across the far eastern Atlantic ocean. This tropical wave will likely become a tropical depression over the next day or so. There is a high chance this becomes our next named storm (Erin) and could even become the year’s first hurricane. It is far too soon to determine where this system will eventually track, given it is still more than a week away from nearing North America. August 17-22 would be the timeframe IF the storm comes near the U.S.

SAFETY: Commander Scott Lundquist from JSO’s Traffic & Special Enforcement discusses how JSO is addressing back-to-school traffic challenges, including school zone speed enforcement, bus safety, and more:

THREE BIG THINGS TO KNOW:

On the eve of back to school, a Clay County teen is arrested after allegedly threatening to carry out a school shooting at Orange Park High. Deputies were notified last week that a family had received multiple threatening phone calls from a blocked number. The caller threatened to shoot a teenager on the first day of school. Deputies say the suspect appeared to know the victim personally, and referenced specific details that raised concern. The suspect even threatened the victim’s mother when she got on the phone. A 16-year-old student was arrested and is charged with aggravated stalking. Authorities say safety remains a top priority as students return to the classroom.

ICYMI: St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Lt. West Kennedy and Sgt. Matt Harting discussed the Youth Services Unit, the Resource Officer Training Unit, school security resources and back-to-school preparations.

Students across Florida will need to follow a new cell phone law. They won’t be allowed to use their phones during the entire school day. Health and behavioral accommodations are exempt from the rule. High school students are banned from using their phones during instructional time, without teacher permission.

St. Augustine city leaders are nearing a major increase in illegal parking penalties. The city commission is set to vote tonight to nearly triple the penalty across St. Augustine’s historic district and surrounding areas for illegal parking from a $35 to $100 ticket. City leaders say illegal parking has become a major issue in the historic district and surrounding neighborhoods.

▶ Listen to Jacksonville’s Morning News Interviews