Drivers on the existing Pensacola Bay Bridge are reminded to keep their eyes on the road and to maintain a safe speed as construction crews install the 800,000-pound steel arch atop the new eastbound Pensacola Bay Bridge Thursday, June 27. The navigational channel beneath the bridge will be closed to marine traffic and the U.S. Coast Guard will patrol the area to maintain a safety buffer.
Barge-mounted construction cranes will lift the 375-foot long by 83-foot tall arch into place above the navigational channel of the new bridge. Once installed, the top of the arch will stand approximately 150-feet above the waters of Pensacola Bay. The arch is a signature architectural element for the new bridge that will also provide structural support for the multiuse path included on the bridge.
Completion of the eventual eastbound bridge is currently estimated for later this summer. At that time, two lanes of east and two lanes of westbound traffic will be moved to the new bridge while the existing structure is demolished and the new westbound bridge is constructed.
The new Pensacola Bay Bridge will consist of two, parallel structures, each equipped with three travel lanes, adjacent inside and outside shoulders, and 10-foot multiuse paths for pedestrians and bicyclists. Final completion of the new bridge, and the adjacent 17th Avenue interchange in Pensacola, is currently estimated for mid-2021.
For more information visit the Florida Department of Transportation District Three online at www.nwflroads.com, follow us on Twitter @MyFDOT_NWFL, or like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MyFDOTNWFL.
