Steel arch for the eastbound bridge is currently being constructed

The steel arch for the eastbound bridge is currently being constructed in Pensacola Bay. The 800,000-pound arch will be one of two erected above the navigational channel of the new bridge. Once in place it will serve as signature aesthetic element as well a key structural component.

“The top of the arch will stand 150-feet above the bay,” said project engineer Bill Klepac. “There is no doubt it will be an attention-getter for generations to come.”

In addition to the aesthetic enhancement, the arch(es) will provide structural support for the ten-foot multi-use paths that will be part of both the east and westbound bridges.

The arch is made of high-strength carbon steel with steel cable stays. It was manufactured in Palatka, Fla. and shipped the roughly 400-miles to Pensacola by truck. Crews are assembling the components of the arch on a barge in Pensacola Bay. Once it is ready, two of the largest cranes in use on the project will lift the arch into position above the navigational channel of the new bridge.