Blog: Bridge Woes Continue

January 15, 2010

North Escambia’s wooden bridges that date back to the 1940’s and 50’s are not the only problem bridges in the county.

A new reported recently released by the Florida Department of Transportation now ranks the Phillip D. Beall Sr. Bridge as structural deficient. You know the bridge by its more common name — the Three-Mile Bridge.

The almost-three mile long bridge over Pensacola Bay connects Pensacola to Gulf Breeze. On an average day, 48,428 vehicles make the trip across the bridge. The bridge, built in 1960, is now structural deficient according DOT — not unsafe, just not completely structurally sound.

Just yesterday, a NorthEscambia.com article (read here) reported that 50 bridges in North Escambia were among 103 bridges Escambia County that need replacing because they too are structural deficient. Many have wooden supports that are 50 to 70 years old.

Escambia County is seeking $96.6 million in federal dollars to replace the bridges. As a “Plan B”, the county is also seeking $6 million from the state legislature to replace the six or seven worst wooden substructure bridges.

Since the Three-Mile Bridge carries U.S. 98, likely funding sources for a new mega-million dollar bridge across the bay would be the state and federal government. Escambia County is seeking federal and state money to replace the 103 bridges that are county owned.

It’s one pot of money, and a lot of bridges. Plus that pot is divided among all of Florida’s counties.

We would strongly support safety being the top priority in allocating dollars for bridges. A plan certainly needs to be developed for replacing the Three-Mile if it is in such bad shape. No arguing that the safety of those in 48,428 vehicles per day is important, as is the economic value of having the connector between Gulf Breeze and Pensacola.

We just don’t want the bridges in North Escambia to fall off the funding radar, and hope our local leaders will remember that both the Three-Mile bridge and our rural bridges are both important.

We are in plenty of federal debt these days, so the feds might as well step up and fund Escambia’s $96 million in new bridges and the Three-Mile Bridge. That would be smart stimulus.

Comments

6 Responses to “Blog: Bridge Woes Continue”

  1. A Watchman on January 16th, 2010 5:20 am

    Cygie, “shovel ready” means projects that are planned, and ready to go. One of the main problems is that self serving people get elected to political office and there job one is to do what is good for them and there financial contributors. Itseems that being custodian of the public TRUST has been forgotten. Sadly.

    Even a beginning juggler knows that to make things work you must tend to all of the balls, not just the ones in your hands.

  2. cygie on January 15th, 2010 3:18 pm

    I thought that part of the stimulus package that Congress back-doored through was going to provide funds for shovel ready projects, such as roads and infrastructure. Therefore, would not this money for these bridges already be there, or is this whole stimulus package just smoke and mirrors?

  3. SW on January 15th, 2010 8:22 am

    I stand with your sarcasm. Sorry I missed it. As much as I write tongue-in-cheek, I should’ve recognized it.

  4. William on January 15th, 2010 7:29 am

    SW — it was meant with a bit of sarcasm. The money’s already been taken from us and put into various recovery funds, we might as well get a return.

  5. SW on January 15th, 2010 7:27 am

    I understand and agree with your point, however, I disagree with the first sentence of your last paragraph.

    I afraid everyone has that attitude about Federal money: Might as well get our share while the getting’s good. Don’t forget that Federal government has no money unless it takes it from us.

  6. Janice Parker on January 15th, 2010 6:25 am

    Thank you, William

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News