Despite the Florida Department of Transportation’s willingness to make repairs to the SR399 overpass in Gulf Breeze Proper, the City of Gulf Breeze wants to send a proposal to the local Transportation Planning Organization (FL-AL TPO) asking the group to consider a request for a PD&E Study on the overpass and to put that request on an upcoming TPO meeting agenda.
That overpass was damaged back on March 11 when a tractor trailer struck one of the bridge’s beams. FDOT District 3 Spokesman Ian Satter said engineers with FDOT concluded that there wasn’t any structural damage done to the bridge, and that the state agency is in the process of finding a construction crew to do an “emergency fix” on the beam that was damaged.
But despite news that the beam would be replaced on the structure, the city started questioning the longevity of the bridge in regards to their Master Plan and future expansions along U.S. Highway 98 at their Wednesday night Executive Committee meeting.
The city is expected to OK sending the request to the local TPO at their Monday City Council meeting. But despite their thoughts for the future of Gulf Breeze, Satter said that letter could have little to no effect in regards to pushing the state agency to pony up funds to replace the overpass.
Satter
“They can submit the letter, but two things have to be kept in mind: The bridge is not structurally deficient, so it’s not up for replacement. Also, when they submit a request like that, it has to be a priority to the Transportation Planning Organization in that area,” The FDOT District 3 spokesman said.
City Manager Edwin “Buz” Eddy told councilmembers Wednesday night that once the new Bay Bridge is built, the city should work ahead to make sure it can handle additional traffic loads at its “friction points”. The overpass being one of those points.
“The (new Pensacola Bay Bridge) isn’t going to create more traffic,” Eddy said. “There’s not room underneath the overpass for three lanes in every direction (on Hwy. 98). There’s not room for pedestrian walkways. That’s a place we had one of the only pedestrian- related fatalities in Gulf Breeze.
“As exposed by the damage that was done recently, that structure could limit some of the work that’s going to be done on the highway. I think it would behoove the city to ask the DOT through the TPO to evaluate and conduct a PD&E Study for the replacement of the overpass.”
If OK’d on Monday, the letter will go to the TPO and sit in a pile of PD&E requests for FDOT until the agency pulls the request. But since the structure—which was built in 1962 and widened in 1970—is structurally sound, Satter said that request could sit in that pile for quite some time.
“They can submit a letter all they want, but right now there are no plans to replace that bridge,” Satter told South Santa Rosa News.
Satter said the overpass has an estimated life span of up to 100 years and is not in need of any repairs, other than the repairs that have to be done because of the collision last month.
“The way the funding works, is it take a number of years to put projects in the proper category for funding. I think it’s going to take a long time for them to say, ‘There’s going to be money available for a PD&E study for this particular project,’” Eddy said. “PD&E money has to compete with other projects on the TPO list. So for the city to get this out there now, it might take a year or few years to get it out in front of the right people.”
Eddy said the city should plan ahead for the study since it might take years to even have the request approved by FDOT.
Both Eddy and Mayor Matt Dannheisser attended the FDOT kickoff meeting Tuesday night in Pensacola for the Pensacola Bay Bridge project that focused on the bridge’s landing in Pensacola. Dannheisser said he approached an FDOT spokesman about the overpass and was hit with a cold shoulder.
“Their answer was ‘No, we need to spend money repairing it, and then wait how many ever years and spend a bunch more money talking about it.’ It’s disappointing,” Dannheisser said. “There’s no question it has to be changed. Our Master Plan contemplates the overfall of that.”
Dannnheisser
Plans are already underway to repair the beam that was hit underneath the bridge in mid-April (See story, Page 9).
A company has yet to be contracted by FDOT for the project, which is expected to take a month to complete.
The estimated $1 million repair project will require lane closures and crews will be asked to work on the repairs overnight so as not to disturb traffic during the day.
That cost is expected to be reimbursed by the trucking company whose worker hit the beam.
