The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) this week provided an update on the recovery efforts for the Pensacola Bay Bridge, which suffered damage as a result of Hurricane Sally last September.
FDOT said to safely reopen the bridge, other repair work is required. This means there will be a delay in the bridge reopening to traffic to the week of May 31, 2021—Memorial Day.
The department is regularly reviewing the contractor’s schedule of the entire Pensacola Bay Bridge project with the anticipated completion date for all improvements currently scheduled for January 2022.
During repair efforts on the trophy pieces at pier 70, repair crews identified additional damage that warranted replacing the interior trophy piece at pier 70. The trophy piece's replacement at pier 70 is critical since the demolition, pile driving, trophy installation, beam placement, and deck pouring will be required.
The full replacement of the trophy piece will uphold FDOT’s commitment to provide the safe and efficient reconnection of Gulf Breeze and Pensacola communities and deliver a bridge with a 75-year design life. Multiple crews are working around the clock to complete repair projects critical to the opening of the Pensacola Bay Bridge.
Detour routes for motorists include the Garcon Point Bridge and State Road 87.
In September 2020, a section of the Pensacola Bay Bridge was damaged due to impacts from Hurricane Sally. Reports at the time indicated damage was done to the surface of the bridge and showed that a crane fell on the structure and knocked away a section of the roadway. The damage occurred as FDOT was working on a $400 million replacement project for the bridge.
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SOURCE: Florida DOT
