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Causeway bridge reopens
The drawbridge is welded shut, allowing car and pedestrian traffic.
By AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published May 11, 2005
The Clearwater Memorial Causeway bridge reopened at 4:30 a.m. this morning, after a 12-hour round-the-clock repair that started in the middle of rush hour traffic.
Work crews welded the causeway's drawbridge shut early Wednesday morning, meaning the road is open for people headed to work or the popular beach. The bridge remains closed to boat traffic, said Kris Carson, a Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson.
A 600-pound pin that links the drawbridge fell out at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday while the drawbridge was open.
Divers found the pin stuck on the floor of Clearwater Harbor at about 9 p.m., but they were unable to lift the heavy steel piece out of the muck. Instead, crews lowered the drawbridge and welded it shut early this morning.
Today, divers will again attempt to retrieve the pin and reinsert it into the drawbridge, Carson said. Until the pin is in place, the drawbridge will be unable to open.
A new bridge is under construction. After several delays, however, it is not scheduled to open to traffic until Sept. 1, 2005. The main connection between Clearwater and Clearwater Beach, the causeway handles about 28,000 cars a day.
[Last modified May 11, 2005, 08:24:03]
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