More than a dozen lights are out at the end of Wonderwood Bridge in Jacksonville, leaving drivers and pedestrians crossing in near-total darkness after thieves repeatedly stripped copper wiring from the span. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has reported that more than $120,000 worth of copper wiring has been stolen from the bridge, and residents who live nearby say they’re increasingly afraid to use it.
Megan McGowan, who has lived a block away from the bridge for four years, told Action News Jax that driving over the dark bridge with her children every day is scary. She said that at the top of the span, she can only make out approaching cars by their headlights. Action News Jax observed open, exposed electrical boxes on both sides of the bridge during its reporting.
John Sternad, another neighbor, said the darkness has come and gone for years and that he worries about people walking across the bridge at night. He said he won’t walk it himself unless he’s armed, telling the station he fears someone could rob or kill him there. The outages stem from theft of copper, aluminum and wiring that powers the bridge’s lighting system, according to the station’s report.
A Years-Long Pattern of Theft
A police report reviewed by Action News Jax described multiple theft incidents on the bridge, including one in 2024 and another in January 2026. A separate police report from April named the City of Jacksonville as the victim of grand theft exceeding $100,000. JEA told the outlet it did not know whether the bridge lights were currently on and directed questions to the City of Jacksonville, which said it is still investigating the lighting issue and in turn referred the station to the Florida Department of Transportation…