Pensacola Bay Bridge westbound structure opens to traffic

February 13 marks a major milestone in the construction of the Pensacola Bay Bridge with the opening of the westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) span.

U.S. 98 westbound traffic was shifted to the new bridge early this morning. The two spans of the bridge are now temporarily accommodating two east and westbound travel lanes.

Upon final completion of the project, each structure will support three lanes of traffic in each direction, along with inside and outside shoulders, and 10-foot-wide multiuse paths for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The multiuse path on the eastbound (Pensacola to Gulf Breeze) bridge remains open, but the westbound path will remain closed until completed.

With a construction cost of approximately $440 million, the Pensacola Bay Bridge replacement project is the largest transportation initiative in Northwest Florida history. More than 60,000 drivers travel the bridge daily between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. The modern, six-lane structure replaces a four-lane bridge that opened in 1960.

While there is now traffic on both spans of the bridge, multiple miscellaneous tasks remain to complete the project. These include work on the U.S. 98 tie-ins and median areas, the wayside park in Gulf Breeze, bridge painting, and others. Completion of the project is currently estimated for this summer.