As the new Memorial Causeway bridge's flaws unfold, the state wants to determine if the whole structure is truly sound.
By JENNIFER FARRELL
Published April 21, 2004
CLEARWATER - A string of design problems and construction blunders on the new Memorial Causeway bridge has prompted the Florida Department of Transportation to question whether the entire structure meets state building standards.
In a letter sent Friday to bridge builder PCL Civil Constructors, the DOT demanded a full review of the bridge by an outside consultant to prove it meets the building code.
The request dramatically expands an earlier request for an independent analysis of two cracked concrete support piers. The DOT set a May 1 deadline for the contractor to turn in the analysis of the piers, which support the tallest and widest span straddling the main channel in Clearwater Harbor.
That information, the letter states, is needed before any decisions can be made on how to fix the many cracked and misaligned sections of the $69-million state bridge.
"(T)he absence of such understanding could lead to further deterioration of the piers and the subsequent rejection of any repaired components as well," the letter states.
PCL promised to submit the initial review, from an outside engineering consultant, by April 30, according to a letter from the company to the DOT.
No deadline has been set for the broader study, according to DOT spokeswoman Marian Scorza.
Company officials did not return a call Tuesday. They have declined to comment on the status of the bridge under an agreement with the DOT.
The state wants PCL to provide more information to help determine whether the bridge's design, which was changed before construction began, is flawed. Likewise, PCL will be required to check the engineering calculations used to determine the bridge's structural integrity.
DOT engineers, who signed off on the design change, were not available Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the city of Clearwater is liable for certain cost overruns associated with the bridge, according to documents reviewed this week by the St. Petersburg Times.
And as structural problems mount, that prospect is making city leaders increasingly uneasy.
"We certainly are concerned," said city attorney Pam Akin. "And we would like to see the bridge come in on budget, if not on time."
In its deal with the state, finalized in 2001, Clearwater agreed to share costs for the sleek 74-foot-tall bridge and to pick up the tab for unforeseen added expenses. The agreement does not apply to extra costs for construction errors, which the contractor is obligated to cover. But the provision would apply to legal costs associated with the project, Akin said.
No lawsuits have been filed, but the threat looms larger as wrinkles add up.
"Hopefully there won't be any litigation," Akin said. "Construction litigation tends to be expensive."
Last week, the DOT announced more flaws with the bridge, namely that unconnected sections in the span nearest the existing road have a gap of 81/2 inches. Because of cracks in the concrete support columns, it may not be possible to line up the roadway without causing more damage.
Meanwhile, engineers suspect that cracks stretch underwater on the reinforced concrete support piers at the base of the columns.
The DOT rejected PCL's first proposal to fix the cracked columns with grout and epoxy.
Last week, the state released a preliminary proposal from the Canadian contractor to buttress the most severely cracked column with more steel and extra concrete around roughly 15 feet of its base. But without the initial study, the DOT will not approve the fix, District Secretary Ken Hartmann said.
"We believe it's crucial," he said Tuesday.
To help review repair strategies for other damaged parts of the bridge, the DOT has hired three outside engineering experts.
Six of the bridge's 16 concrete columns are cracked, and the DOT has said at least four may have to be demolished and rebuilt, along with the road above. In February, a section of the road fell 7 inches after temporary scaffolding buckled. Before they can settle on a fix, crews must finish buttressing the faulty scaffolding.
In December 2002, crews used explosives to demolish an 80-foot section of the bridge span after it fell a foot and twisted when another section of scaffolding failed.
This month, a DOT report showed that all spans have minor cracking, the result of a revamped engineering design that didn't account for high bending forces during construction.
In Clearwater, city leaders remain frustrated.
"It's just seems like it's more of the same," Mayor Brian Aungst said. "It's certainly disappointing."
City Manager Bill Horne said each new structural problem raises new worries that Clearwater could be stuck paying more than it had bargained for.
"I have been concerned about the cost overrun issue since the project began construction," he said. "Now that risk certainly seems a lot more apparent to us."
In November 2001, Clearwater agreed to take on the additional risk so that work on the bridge could begin. It was not scheduled for replacement by the DOT for another two decades.
In hindsight, the decision might have been too risky, said Vice Mayor Frank Hibbard, who was not on the City Commission when the deal was made.
"It's real easy to look back and say how the commission should have structured that contract," he said. "The reality of it is, we've got to live with our current situation."
Aungst said he has received oral assurances from the DOT that Clearwater won't have to kick in more money. He said he is confident the state will help cover any cost overruns.
"I just don't think it's ever going to happen that we're ever going to be on the hook for any money," Aungst said.
Hartmann, of the DOT, said the written deal speaks for itself.
"The agreement was that they would cover cost overruns," he said.
The state already has come up with an extra $2.5-million for the project, after construction bids came in higher than expected. Beyond that, Clearwater accepted the extra risk, according to Hartmann.
"When you make a commitment to being responsible for construction," he said, "it's the total package."
