Drivers report costly damage from Lee County's Edison Bridge repair plate bump

Emergency repair work on the Edison Bridge has led to vehicle damage for some drivers, prompting frustration and claims to the Florida Department of Transportation. Austin Koehn of Cape Coral said his routine drive home turned into an expensive ordeal when his car hit a bump on the bridge. Koehn described the moment his tire was damaged. "I think I was going about 25-30 mph. It was gridlock traffic," he said. "I hit the thud and immediately knew how hard I hit it. I knew I did some damage to it. Before I even made it down the bridge, my tire pressure sensor came on. At that point, I'm like, oh man, I definitely did some damage to it." The impact caused a blowout, Koehn said. "I'm getting this replaced today. I'm going to get all tires replaced at once because might as well have the same treadway and all that stuff," Koehn said. "It's going to be about $1,100 bucks to replace it all. Frustrating to say the least." FDOT crews abruptly closed lanes on the bridge for maintenance to a bridge joint Tuesday. The work, which began last week, included installing a new plate on the pavement. Tyler Nickleski of Tampa said the plate caused issues for his vehicle as well. "I've had to borrow a family member's vehicle until I can get an appointment made to have someone do an estimate for me to go over all the tires and suspension components. I'm definitely gonna probably need an alignment," Nickleski said. Other drivers have also reported damage online. FDOT has since installed a sign before the bridge to warn drivers of the bump. However, drivers like Koehn said they wish FDOT would give more warning about the trouble ahead. "It's frustrating. I feel bad for the people who probably have more damage than I do," Koehn said. "I'm safe. I'm lucky that it was just one wheel, so it could be a lot worse." FDOT signs indicate there will be nightly lane closures on the bridge through Dec. 21. A spokesperson for FDOT said they are aware of the damage reports and advised drivers to take photos of any damage and submit them to the department's claims office. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV