A new report from an industry group says three bridges in our area are structurally deficient. But it turns out, repairs to those bridges have already been done or have been planned.
- Bridges on structurally deficient list repaired
- ARTBA list based on data before projects started
- I-75 bridge over SR 50 & I-75 SB bridge over Yorkshire repaired
According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association's 2018 report, the I-75 bridge over State Road 50 in Hernando County is considered structurally deficient.
FDOT said the old bridge there has already been torn down, the one currently being worked on now is the replacement.
A lot of drivers didn't even realize the old bridge was in bad shape. The height was their biggest concern.
"There had been many trucks that had gone under it and hit it and they've come out and repaired it afterwards," Julie Davis said.
And it's not just the bridge in Hernando County. The 1-75 southbound bridge over Yorkshire in Sarasota was also on that list, but FDOT said the deck that was the big issue there has already been replaced.
State Road 679 over Boca Siega Bay in Pinellas County was the last one in the Bay Area on the list. That one hasn't been fixed yet but FDOT said the repair process is starting this fall.
So, why put out a list like this if all of those bridges are fixed or are being fixed?
The ARTBA said the list is based on the latest data from the Federal Highway Administration, which is from 2017 and was just released. They say the bridges don't have to be inspected each year, so the inspection data they have is likely before the projects started on each bridge.
But, even though many drivers didn’t realize the old bridge in Hernando County was structurally deficient, they are glad it was replaced.
"I wouldn't want to be going over it and fall through," Davis said.
In fact, FDOT says the new bridge in Hernando County should be open to drivers soon.