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Sheila Mullane Estrada, St. Petersburg Times
August 5, 2011
Construction of a new high level bridge along the Pinellas Bayway is now scheduled to begin early next year.
Acceleration of the $58.6 million project was announced by the Florida Department of Transportation on Friday as part of nearly $1 billion in projects included in Gov. Rick Scott's Florida Transportation Vision for the 21st Century, a statewide effort to create construction jobs and boost the Florida economy.
Currently, traffic on the Bayway frequently backs up because of repeated openings of the existing low level bascule bridge, according to DOT spokesperson Kris Carson.
The new bridge will add two additional travel lanes to increase traffic capacity between the west toll plaza and the Bayway, as well as reconstruct and resurface a portion of State Road 682 from Gulf Boulevard on St. Pete Beach to the west toll plaza. The project also includes new signage, lighting and landscaping along the 1.3-miles of the Bayway.
The new bridge is expected to last about 75 years. The old bridge is about 50 years old.
Original article in the St. Petersburg Times.
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