Drawbridge Unstuck, Clearing 20-Mile, 18-Hour Traffic Jam

Cranes were used to force a drawbridge out of the up position Thursday morning, freeing thousands of motorists from a 20-mile traffic jam that trapped them for nearly 18 hours on the only highway in the Florida Keys.

“It’s been a bummer all the way through,” said Carl Kirkpatrick of Orlando before the bridge was finally lowered. “We’ve been driving all the way from Orlando and now we’re stuck.”

Police agencies, schools and the Red Cross mobilized and temporary shelters were set up at Coral Shores High School and the Island Christian Church.

Told to Sleep in Cars

Motorists who were unable to find lodging overnight were told to sleep in their cars, officials said.

“A lot of people were angry, but when they saw nothing could be done, they calmed down,” said Linda Mortensen of Islamorada, who was caught in the traffic jam. “It’s frustrating when you don’t know if you’re going to start moving in two minutes or two hours.”

Traffic crawled along the 120-mile Overseas Highway, the only land link between Miami and Key West, for several hours Thursday morning after the bridge was reopened, authorities said.

A Coast Guard spokesman said one person suffered a heart attack during the tie-up and was transferred from one ambulance on the south side of the bridge to a boat and then put in another ambulance on the north side. A report on his condition was not available.