New DOT Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos ordered officials to redirect traffic on the Mathews Bridge. [Photo: The Florida Times-Union, Rick Wilson]

When a three-month resurfacing project shut down half of Jacksonville’s Mathews Bridge this spring, sending commuters into a detour that added more than an hour to their trip home, residents, local leaders and the media had a question for the Florida Department of Transportation: Why not just reverse the traffic flow each day, allowing commuters to take the bridge into town in the mornings and back out in the afternoons?

The DOT’s initial response sounded typically bureaucratic: Too difficult logistically, too expensive. But as complaints intensified, newly appointed DOT Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos, a former legislative analyst in Washington, took a trip to Jacksonville to see what all the fuss was about.

Next thing you know, DOT had agreed to daily lane shifts: In the morning, both usable lanes now head west for motorists on their way to downtown from Arlington. During evening rush hours, when more cars head east, both usable lanes are open for commuters headed back home.

Officials expect to complete the construction project later this month. Transportation officials estimate the cost of reversing the lanes at $1.5 million in addition to the original project cost of $13 million. Local leaders say it’s a small price to pay for the time and aggravation saved. Meanwhile, Kopelousos’ response bodes well for other Florida communities seeking more flexibility from the DOT, not to mention for this year’s hurricane season, when quick lane reversals may be a matter of more than convenience.