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Pensacola Bay Bridge Closed Due To Wind, And It Was Struck By A Barge
September 15, 2020
The Pensacola Bay Bridge was closed Tuesday morning after it was struck by a barge and due to winds from Hurricane Sally.
The City of Gulf Breeze said a barge struck the bridge, and the Florida Department of Transportation will send an inspection team to access any damage.
FDOT noted the bridge was also closed due to sustained winds of 40 mph or greater.
The bridge is expected to remain close for the duration of Hurricane Sally.
Tolls have been waved on the Garcon Point bridge until further notice.
Pictured above: The Gulf Breeze end of the Pensacola Bay Bridge just before 10 a.m. Tuesday. Pictured below: The Pensacola end of the bridge.
Comments
5 Responses to “Pensacola Bay Bridge Closed Due To Wind, And It Was Struck By A Barge”
was it in the Mid 80’s- when the last barge hit and CLOSED the old bridge for Months? had to take a ferry or drive around via hwy 87! can’t believe it happened again!
Uh oh! I remember in 1989 when the 3 mile bridge was struck by a barge. I lived downtown and worked on Pensacola Beach at EPA. I had to make the trek all the way around through Navarre which was an extra 60 miles. I had to carpool with 3 other people whether I liked them or not for 6 months. I think you could use one lane after a while on the 3 mile bridge but it would get closed arbitrarily or traffic would be bad. Six months was pretty good though compared to today’s road construction in the area. I guess it’s like inflation, the years make the numbers go up. By comparison, the overpass and 9 mile road area has been under construction for over 4 years and it’s not even a bridge over 40 feet of water. To fix a pylon today managed by the same people who are managing the hwy 29 construction, it would probably be 10 years.
Atleast we have the rich people bridge now in midway Gulf Breeze in case they say 3 mile is unsafe again (like they did 30 years ago.) If I had to take the rich folk bridge every day I would probably eventually have to take out a second mortgage. Luckily the only reason I absolutely have to go over there is to get to Peg Leg Pete’s for a seafood platter.
I was 8 years old in 1947. My grandparents lived in Pensacola and I lived in Panama City. On Friday afternoons the Trailways bus stopped in front of our house on US 98 and my mother put me on in, right behind the driver. My grandfather met the bus in Pensacola. On Sunday afternoon we reversed the trip. I well remember the many months that the bus bypassed the damaged part of the bridge on a rickity-looking wooden detour. It was indeed a kinder and gentler time.
I noticed yesterday coming back from Quietwater that the contractor left all the barges and cranes in place for this storm instead of moving them to Bayou Chico as they have for previous storms. A costly mistake, but the costs, including repairs, should be on the contractor and not the taxpayers.
In 1947, a freighter moored to the coaling station near the foot of 9th Av broke loose during a hurricane. It went through the old two-lane bridge. A temporary wooden bridge was constructed during the repair work. A kinder and gentler time, but, nevertheless, memorable.