Janelle Irwin Taylor
In anticipation of high winds, driving rain and significant storm surge, Pinellas County is locking its three movable bridges at 8 p.m. Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Helene.
The Dunedin Causeway bridges, the Beckett Bridge in Tarpon Springs and the Park Boulevard Bridge in Seminole will remain open to vehicular traffic, but they will not lift for boat traffic until conditions from the storm clear.
Those who own high-clearance boats who need to relocate them to a safe location should do so before the bridges lock.
The Florida Highway Patrol and Florida Department of Transportation will close the Sunshine Skyway bridge when wind speeds reach 45 miles per hour, a level that is expected as bands from Helene sweep through the state Thursday.
The Gandy Bridge, Howard Frankland Bridge and/or the Courtney Campbell Causeway will close if wave action makes travel unsafe.
Pinellas County officials recommend those needing to travel during the storm use the Waze App or waze.com to check for road and bridge closures during and after the storm.
