Preliminary activities underway

Engineers are busy designing the new Pensacola Bay Bridge. Construction work for the $398.5 million bridge is slated to begin in spring 2017. While work goes on behind-the-scenes to prepare the needed construction documents, construction crews are on-site working on the following preliminary activities.

• Drilling to obtain core samples from the bottom of Pensacola Bay.
• Topographic and other survey work.
• Identifying and relocating above and underground utilities.
• Working to inspect, repair, and maintain the current bridge.

For the most part, these preliminary construction activities are taking place off the roadway and not impacting traffic. Current traffic and travel advisories are available here.

Plans are to begin driving test piles in Pensacola Bay this spring. The first of two parallel structures is slated to open in early 2019. At that time both east and westbound traffic will be temporarily moved to this new bridge allowing construction teams to demolish the current bridge and complete the second new structure.

All work is currently scheduled for completion in summer 2020.