The new Memorial Causeway Bridge's second sinking spell has Clearwater buzzing, with most of the comments we've heard sounding something like one of the following:
- That's Clearwater for you. They screwed up the roundabout and now they've screwed up the new bridge.
- You won't catch me driving over that bridge!
It is regrettable that a project that started out so positively now has a cloud hanging over it. In 1998, the city of Clearwater decided to build a new bridge to span Clearwater Harbor after determining that the state Department of Transportation might not replace its old, malfunctioning drawbridge there for up to 20 years. Meanwhile, traffic to Clearwater Beach backed up every time the drawbridge opened or had to be shut down to service the aging mechanisms that lifted the roadbed.
Using city, county, state and federal money, city officials cobbled together the financing to build the $69-million bridge. The design of the span - sleek, curving, with fewer piers than most bridges - was admired by many and won design awards.
But in December 2002, an 80-foot section of the bridge roadbed sank 12 inches and twisted. Contractors decided to blow up the damaged section with dynamite and rebuild it. Then a week ago, a different roadbed section sank almost 7 inches overnight. Engineers don't know why, and they don't know what will be required to fix it.
Is it fair to blame Clearwater city government for the bridge's problems?
Not really. Clearwater is providing funding to replace the state-owned drawbridge, and it approved the appearance of the new bridge. But city engineers did not design it; it was designed by a private design firm. The city isn't building the bridge; PCL Constructors, a private company, is doing that work. And the city isn't in charge of managing the construction; that responsibility belongs to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Two sinking episodes prove that something is wrong with the new bridge, but the city of Clearwater is the party that was least able to see it coming.
It is probably inevitable that the public would draw comparisons between the bridge problems and the trouble-plagued Clearwater Beach roundabout. But the previous city administration that created the roundabout was much more involved in its design, ignored public criticisms of the design, and was slow to respond to a high accident rate in the traffic circle.
However, Clearwater city government rightly will be held accountable for its response to the bridge crisis. City officials so far have said they are waiting for the state and contractor's engineers to assess the problem and determine what must be done. The officials have noted that they hope the fix won't delay the expected opening of the bridge to traffic next month. They have commented repeatedly that they are eager to see the bridge open soon.
There may not be much traffic on the new bridge unless city government can reassure the traveling public that the bridge will be safe to drive. Just as some people have avoided going to Clearwater Beach because of the roundabout, others may choose to stay away because of the bridge.
How can that outcome be avoided? The city should no longer take a back seat to the other companies and agencies involved in building the Memorial Causeway Bridge. The public needs to see the city aggressively involved in studying the issue through its own and outside engineering experts. The city also should thoroughly communicate all of the findings to the public. It may want to schedule a public forum with a bridge engineering expert and the bridge's original designers so residents can ask questions and feel secure about the answers.
The last consideration for anyone involved should be getting the bridge open on schedule, even if spring break is almost upon us. This is a time for careful scrutiny, not speed.
