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BOCC Approves Emergency Replacement OF Nokomis Road Bridge
February 16, 2018
Thursday night, the Escambia County Commission approved the emergency purchase of prefabricated steel bridge to replace the Nokmois Road bridge over Reedy Creek.
Due to structure deficiencies, the state ordered the Nokomis Road Bridge closed in December. The county implemented a short detour on the dirt Albritton and Jakes Roads. Due to the November 8 closure of a bridge on Arthur Brown Road and a November 14 closure of a bridge on Arthur Brown Road, the only detour options were a 31-mile, 30-35 mph average speed detour in Florida, or a lengthy detour into Alabama.
The detour solutions all present hazards to the public, according to county officials.
Since implementing this detour the county has received several calls from area residents who are concerned about meeting and passing truck traffic because of the narrow width of Jakes Road and its steep shoulders making them feel unsafe when pulling to the side when meeting trucks and other vehicles. Rain also causes the dirt road surface to become slippery and unstable. Vehicles, including emergency vehicles, are at risk of becoming stuck when pulling onto these shoulders.
The 31-mile detour would also present obvious delays for drivers and emergency vehicles. Even when the bridge on Arthur Brown Road reopens, the resulting detour would still be 20 miles.
County Engineer Joy Blackmon recommended that the county make the emergency bridge purchase. Quotes and fabrication schedules have been requested from three different bridge manufacturers to determine which 50 x 36 foot bridge will be most feasible and available for replacement.
The first steel permanent replacement bridge in Escambia County recently opened on Arthur Brown Road (there were two bridges closed on Arthur Brown Road). The bridge over Freeman Springs Branch was closed November 8 and bridge replacement work began on December 6 after prep work was completed. The new 24-foot wide steel bridge arrived in three major pieces on January 5. It was installed on January 6 and was open by January 29.
Pictured: Escambia County’s first permanent steel replacement bridge opened in late January on Arthur Brown Road. An emergency purchase of a similar steel bridge has been approved for Nokomis Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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