Four bridges in the Island Estates community of Clearwater are being replaced.
It started when someone kayaking under one of the bridges noticed degrading concrete and reported it to the
city of Clearwater.
“We hired a consultant to do a study and when we got the reports back we found out the bridges needed to be replaced,” says Roger Johnson, Project Manager for the city of Clearwater.
Johnson explains the process is quite complex, involving demolition of the bridges, which is not easy when these roadways are the only access point to the fingers of the Island Estates community. In order to replace them, the city has to demolish one side at a time, while using the other side as two-way traffic for people to get back and forth. Once one side is completed, construction can begin on the other side.
Minor repairs are being made to an additional five bridges in the community. The total cost of the project is $3.6 million.
So how are other bridges in Clearwater fairing?
“The FDOT inspects our bridges regularly and provides reports on their findings,” Johnson says. “For now we don’t see anything substantial in the foreseeable future, of course if something shows up then we will obviously address the issue.”
As for the construction on the Island Estate bridges, progress is moving forward and construction is expected to be completed April 2017.
For the most up-to-date information on road closures, and construction updates on the project visit the city’s engineering
website.
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