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Plan Drawings Released Of New Pensacola Bay Bridge
July 13, 2016
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has issued a notice of intent to award Skanska USA Civil Southeast a design-build contract to replace the Pensacola Bay Bridge. The notice of intent to award allows FDOT and the Skanska project team to work to finalize the requirements of the project.
As part of the $398.5 million project, Skanska will be required to design and construct a new bridge crossing of U.S. 98 (State Road 30) over Pensacola Bay in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The typical section of each new bridge will consist of three 12-foot lanes in one direction with 10-foot inside and outside shoulders. The bridges will include 10-foot wide shared use paths on the outside of each bridge with a concrete barrier separation between the outside roadway shoulder and the path. A 150-foot wide horizontal and 65-foot vertical clearance envelope will be provided for the main channel through the new bridges. The project length is approximately 3.7 miles.
The project is being constructed using a project delivery method known as design-build. Under this method, a single team of contractors and engineers is responsible for designing and constructing the project. This differs from the more traditional “Design-Bid-Build” method where the design is completed first by engineers working for the department and then construction contractors are invited to bid for the opportunity to build the project.
Comments
21 Responses to “Plan Drawings Released Of New Pensacola Bay Bridge”
The Bridge is way over due to be built. Gulf Breeze has been working on the stress from traffic all of my life. Gulf Breeze does not want to be by passed, The folks going to the beach are spending money here. The community needs that economically. As for those who speak of G.B. being a speed trap, well I am glad the G.B. Police ticket people who think Gulf Breeze Parkway is a speedway. There doing there job, so slow down and enjoy the beautiful scenery the city has provided. The next 5 to 8 years are going to be hardest on the people who live in South Santa Rosa County. But we were ready for it 20 years ago.
I certainly hope that they keep a drive on fishing bridge for all us handicap folks!
PLEASE!
If this is still valid, it appears they will not be removing the drive-on fishing bridge/pier.
Looks like they will build the southbound bridge on the west side of existing.
Then tear out the current southbound bridge. Maybe put all traffic on the new s.b. and tear out the entire existing bridge at the same time.
Then build the northbound bridge.
http://www.pensacolabaybridge.com/
I’m looking at these pictures and see no fishing bridge. Are the plans to remove it?
M in Bratt has en excellent idea.
I for one sure miss being able to fish from the bridge out of your car, for that much money they could have brought that back and the additional revenue it created would certainly help fund it.
@Russ.. 3 lanes wouldn’t cause a bottleneck, The bridge is the bottleneck right now. GB is already 3 lanes and the P’cola side splits up after getting off the bridge.
This is 2016. I am 66. If I live to be a 100, what are the chances I will live to see completion?
Check one:
Zero
Zilch
None
Thegermanmolinoite. Well, if you’re running over 170 kph then you’d better be payin attention ! But you’re right about our distracted drivers and the LEFT lane dwellers….they’re everywhere ! Single vehicle accidents have increased tremendously and I’ll bet most are distracted in one way or another. Don’t know if our politicians have the knowledge or the will to address the situation but LEO’s are sure staying busy with all the accidents . It seems that the inmates are in charge of the asylum!
There is almost a 70 million dollar difference to the next bid. How can this be? Mark my word, when the dust settles, the cost will be close to the other bidders. If they finish on time that will be a miracle. FDOT is notorious for posting a finish date and changing it multiple times. Very incompetent!!
The Blue Angels fly on Sat at 2:00p.m. I’m leaving right now. I sat in Gulf Breeze in bumper to bumper traffic last Sat and let people in off the side streets because I felt sorry for the residents of that town too. I do not see what good a new bridge will do
without 6 lanes in the city also. We need a separate bridge to Pensacola Beach Gulf Breeze will do just fine with no bridge to the beach It just makes it harder on those living beyond bridge.
The bridge will act as a funnel dumping cars into gulf breeze and pensacola. Not all cars travelling across the bridge to gulf breeze go to the beach but continue to ft. Walton and points east. What is needed are bridges which separate those going to the beach from those going east on 98…with east bound traffic connecting to east bound 98 to a point east of gulf breeze
Nice bridge…………BUT
NO fenders bridges ………..accident waiting
to happen……………
JLSeale
I’m with M on the Elevated Highway, or (VERY) Limited Access.
I like the “EL” better, though. Drawings are nice, but let’s punt this sucker into the NEXT Century, eh?
Of the hundred deadliest pile ups in history, only 2…yes 2…happened on the German Autobahn. Speed is not the problem, driver education/ability is. In Pensacola, it’s common to see someone texting, drinking a cup of coffee, and smoking a cigarette or chatting with someone else in the car, all at the same time. On the autobahn, your hands are on the wheel and you’re looking at the road. And you’re not in the left lane!
So new bridge will be about 135 feet wide and if the blue lights are for
real it will a great addition. But…..does the fishing bridge and the entire old bridge come down ?
One way to alleviate some of the Gulf Breeze traffic would be to do what it takes to eliminate the incredibly high toll on “Beau’s bridge”. People won’t use it because of the highway robbery that toll represents. I realize it’s a private enterprise….sort of, but it’s posing a public nuisance because of all the traffic tie ups that could have been avoided. And, I mean the everyday drive time traffic of those headed through Gulf Breeze to the outlying areas. Weekends are always going to be a traffic nightmare, because of beach road congestion. It’s just how resort traffic is, but the through traffic to 98 could be lessened if the other bridge was at least useful and affordable.
Gulf Breeze is only a speed trap, if you are speeding. Ergo you support the speed trap mentality if you are willing to speed, knowing that they will stop you for speeding. So, simple solution… obey the posted speed limit and you have nothing to worry about. Traffic Flow will also improve with the reduced number of accident that occur from speeding and or impatient drivers.
Can you say boondoggle? With the bottle necks at both ends now there will be 3 lanes backed up in either direction.
M, it is only a trap if you speed. Do the speed limit or don’t run a red light and like magic, no ticket. Traffic flow can be very busy at times, can’t speed then.
I certainly hope DOT shows the foresight to either by-pass Gulf Breeze, Elevate the Hwy. in Gulf Breeze, or make the new road limited access through GB. Either alternative would expedite traffic flow, and curtail GB’s flow of revenue from it’s 24 hour a day speed trap.