PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced this week that the reopening of the Pensacola Bay Bridge linking Gulf Breeze and Pensacola will be delayed until the week of May 31.
The approximately 3-mile-long structure, which has been closed since sustaining heavy damage last fall from Hurricane Sally, was originally scheduled for a partial reopening in late March. However, FDOT said, a recent analysis revealed that more repair work is required.
During repair efforts on the trophy pieces at pier 70, repair crews identified additional damage that warranted replacing the interior trophy piece at pier 70. According to a statement from FDOT, the trophy piece’s replacement at pier 70 is critical because the demolition, pile driving, trophy installation, beam placement and deck pouring will be required. The full replacement of the trophy piece will deliver a bridge with a 75-year design life.
Multiple crews are working around the clock to complete repairs that are critical to the opening of the Pensacola Bay Bridge, and FDOT is regularly reviewing the contractor’s schedule of the entire Pensacola Bay Bridge Project.
The anticipated completion date for all repairs and improvements, allowing the bridge to fully reopen to traffic, is currently set for January 2022.
Motorists should continue to use all available detour routes, which include the Garcon Point Bridge and State Road 87. At this time, tolls on the Garcon Point Bridge are suspended through Friday, April 9.
Details about detour routes, including graphics, FAQs and regular updates can be found on FDOT’s website.
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Suspend all tolls till the bridge reopens!! I know we’re about to put a new intersection at hwy87 @I10 next week. Don’t add tolls while the bridge is out to help pay for this new intersection because traffic is using this other route due to Garson’s heavy traffic
I left a comment 20mins ago when you said the toll would start before the finishing of the bridge. Once again I will send this out. Just because we’re about to build a new intersection at hwy87 and I10 to accommodate the traffic trying to get to either gulf breeze or Navarre or where they need to be. NO TOLLS, We have way to many other issues deal with! I’m not blaming the Skanska. Just get it right. When I10 escambia bridge went out. Y’all made a temp out of steel grates. Just saying I know y’all have a way to open one side of the bridge for all the moms that need to get to there family assp