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Gandy Bridge good to go now that repairs are done
Fixing the damage caused when a barge smashed into the bridge cost approximately $250,000, a DOT official says.
By REBECCA CATALANELLO
Published April 14, 2006
TAMPA - Two weeks after a barge rammed into the Gandy Bridge and damaged a support beam, the thoroughfare was completely restored and open to all traffic Thursday.
"The repairs went great," Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kris Carson said. "The contractor said it would be done in two weeks and it was."
On March 31, the tug boat Crosby Skipper lost control of the barge Apache while guiding it north through an Old Tampa Bay shipping channel. The loose barge crashed into a beam supporting one lane of the bridge, prompting DOT officials to close the eastbound lane for repairs.
Mending the bridge cost approximately $250,000, Carson said, with Cone & Graham, Inc. performing the work.
Officials restriped the bridge, using the undamaged left shoulder to create two temporary lanes during the repair.
The U.S. Coast Guard is still investigating the accident, Petty Officer Tasha Tully said, and it could be two weeks before the matter is resolved.
Weather, personnel and mechanical issues are all being explored as potential contributors to the accident, Tully said.
[Last modified April 14, 2006, 01:55:46]
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