Major delays are expected as a repair project gets underway along the Sebastian Inlet Bridge in Brevard County.
Work crews are already prepping for the week-long project on the only bridge on State Road A1A that links Brevard and Indian River counties.
The half-mile-long bridge extends over the renowned Sebastian Inlet State Park, a popular spot for fishing, boating and recreation.
"The only way to get here is to cross over the bridge over the inlet," said Mary Hagerman, a server at the Long Pointe Café along State Road A1A, which is just a few miles north of the Sebastian River Inlet. "We don't know how our customers are going to be able to come across the bridge and visit us."
The project will cost about $1.6 million.
Workers will be busy demolishing the south fishing pier underneath the bridge from Feb. 2 to Feb. 6.
Crews will also make concrete repairs on the bridge and replace both the north and south fishing piers.
The bridge, which sees about 2,700 cars each day, will be closed at times so the project can get completed.
Florida Department of Transportation officials expect shutdowns to be in 30-minute increments, which means delays are likely going to happen.
"It's a long way between causeways," said Bert Berner, a Stuart resident.
To avoid possible delays, motorists traveling north or south on State Road A1A are encouraged to utilize U.S. 1 by detouring at the Wabasso Bridge (State Road 510) in Indian River County, or the Melbourne Causeway (5th Avenue) in Brevard County.
"They need to let them know at the nearest causeway so they don't get all the way here and they're stuck," Berner said.
Signs are posted to make sure drivers know about the project, but some people said the signs aren't specific enough.
FDOT officials said the signs will be changed to mention the inlet bridge.
For now, the folks at the Long Point Café will have to grin and bear it.
"They are going to turn around and go home," Hagerman said. "So, it will impede our business."