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Bridge work hits another glitch

The new Clearwater Memorial Causeway is just fine. But construction won't wrap up as soon as planned because of concrete footings left over from the old bridge.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published December 25, 2005

CLEARWATER - Work on the new Clearwater Memorial Causeway bridge was supposed to wrap up by New Year's Day, but it could continue until the middle of February, Florida Department of Transportation officials say.

Is there any other way this project could end?

Hitches and glitches have been a matter of course in the four-year construction of the bridge to Clearwater Beach.

Don't worry, the new bridge itself is just fine, engineers say.

This time the problem is trapped in the muck and silt at the bottom of Clearwater Harbor, 8 to 15 feet below the water's surface.

Concrete footings of the old 1920s bridge, which later became a fishing pier, are essentially stuck in the sea bottom.

There are 10 concrete slabs embedded in the mud and anchored by timber pilings.

The slabs are 30 feet long, 10 feet wide and 3 feet thick, and are giving contractors fits.

"The removal has been more difficult than they had planned," said Jim Moulton, the DOT's local director of transportation operations.

Crews will use a steel beam dropped from a crane to try to break up the slabs.

Much of it will be guesswork since divers cannot help position where the steel beam, called a punch, should drop, said Bill Adams, a senior project engineer with Parsons Brinckerhoff, the company overseeing work for the state.

"It's like shooting in the dark," Adams said.

The extra work is not the fault of the bridge contractor, PCL Civil Constructors, Adams said. Old engineering drawings of the fishing pier suggested the work would be much easier.

PCL will not be penalized for the additional work, which is scheduled to be completed by Feb. 17, Moulton said.

PCL already replaced four badly cracked columns in the new bridge this year, costing the contractor about $10-million.

The bridge opened in August, more than a year behind schedule, following a series of delays and construction mishaps. The job is finally winding down.

"Everything else is going to be done on the job" by Monday, Moulton said.

During the height of the $48.5-million construction, 100 to 200 people worked on the half-mile-long bridge.

Now the crew is down to 18.

"The end is near," said Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard.

"I think what's going to be real great for everyone is when March rolls around and we actually get to see the bridge in action," Hibbard said. "It's going to make a tremendous difference."

Jerry Harder, a vice president for PCL, said he has yet to hear a complaint about the finished product.

"It is really sharp. It really looks great," Harder said. "I think that everybody who's been involved is quite happy how it turned out."

Aaron Sharockman can be reached at 727 445-4160 or asharockman@sptimes.com

The completion of the new Clearwater Memorial Causeway bridge has been delayed because of problems removing the footings of the old bridge, which later became a fishing pier. Why are crews removing the fishing pier?

The work will prevent future potential problems and improve the environment of the sea floor.

Will the work affect traffic?

No. But crews plan to restripe the surface of the new bridge, which will cause sporadic lane closures. That work will happen overnight.

Where will the concrete go?

Crews will pull the concrete off the sea floor and take it to a landfill.

Who's paying for the work?

Because the delay was unforeseen, the Florida Department of Transportation will pay the cost of the extra work.

Is it possible to fish from or near the new bridge?

Yes. The Drew Street dock is now designated as a downtown fishing pier.

Source: Florida Department of Transportation

[Last modified December 24, 2005, 23:42:16]