FDOT: All Hands On Deck To Complete Pensacola Bay Bridge Repair By March

January 22, 2021

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With concrete poured for the first new bridge deck, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and its contractors are increasing all the necessary efforts to repair the Pensacola Bay Bridge by March 2021.

An additional piling driving crew has been added to ensure pile driving efforts remain on schedule. These crews are tasked with moving the pile driving template, working on pier removal, clearing the bottom of the bay from any debris, and driving piles into the bay floor utilizing a 20,000-pound diesel-powered hammer.

Pile driving work will occur seven-days-a-week and while there are no direct traffic impacts, persons nearby may detect noise and the possibility of vibration.

The current numbers on the demolition and repair activities to date include:

  • Eight fully damaged spans removed.
  • 13 partial damaged spans removed.
  • 21 damaged pedestrian path beams removed.
  • 66 damaged I-beams removed with eight replaced.
  • Five damaged trophy pieces removed.
  • 30 replacement piles driven.

Motorists should continue to use all available detour routes, which include the Garcon Point Bridge and State Road 87. At this time, tolls on the Garcon Point Bridge have been suspended through Thursday, February 11. Commuters can also use the Escambia County Area Transit’s (ECAT) temporary bus route travel between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze free of charge.

The Pensacola Bay Bridge has a targeted re-opening date of March 2021. Once repairs are complete, all four lanes will be open with no load restrictions. As each repair method is developed, FDOT will be conducting reviews to ensure the contractor is hitting all milestones in the established schedule.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

2 Responses to “FDOT: All Hands On Deck To Complete Pensacola Bay Bridge Repair By March”

  1. Charlie on January 25th, 2021 5:29 pm

    @Shebbie—It has been published a number of times, that the bridge tolls are only extended for weeks or months at a time. I can’t remember why. I also believe that the bridge owners are suing to collect all of the lost toll money they have been losing. The dropped tolls were not necessarily “free”, & the owners expect someone to pay, be it the State, County, or the contractor Skanska, or a combination of some or all.

  2. Shebbie Shields on January 24th, 2021 2:12 pm

    Why is it that the tolls on the Garcon Bridge are suspended until February 11th, but the bridge will not reopen until March 2021?

    That is not logical to me. Please respond.