According to the Florida Department of Transportation, additional repairs will cause the reopening of the Pensacola Bay Bridge to be delayed until the week of May 31.
The 3-mile long bridge links Gulf Breeze and Pensacola and has been closed since Hurricane Sally caused damages last fall.
The bridge was scheduled to reopen on March 22, but a recent analysis showed that more repair work is needed.
“Upon additional analysis of pier 70, and to safely re-open the bridge, other repair work is required, resulting in a delay in the bridge re-opening to the week of May 31, 2021,” FDOT said in a press release.
Repair crews identified additional damage that will require replacing the interior trophy piece at pier 70.
“The trophy piece’s replacement at pier 70 is critical since the demolition, pile driving, trophy installation, beam placement and deck pouring will be required,” the release stated. “The full replacement of the trophy piece will uphold FDOT’s commitment to provide the safe and efficient reconnection of Gulf Breeze and Pensacola communities and deliver a bridge with a 75-year design life. Multiple crews are working around the clock to complete repair projects critical to the opening of the Pensacola Bay Bridge.”
The bridge is expected to be completely finished with repairs and improvments and fully reopen to traffic by January 2022.
Motorists should continue to use all available detour routes, which include the Garcon Point Bridge and State Road 87.
Tolls on the Garcon Point Bridge are suspended through Friday, April 9.